I have loved Anna Burch since her debut album, Quit the Curse, was released. Quit the Curse was energetic, witty, and pained. I could hear her emotions break out of her stable voice. Her lyrical style was very literal. It made me feel like I was listening to a friend tell me a story.
Her sophomore album, If You're Dreaming, is a soothing love story I was so blessed to be able to hear. Love isn't perfect, but it's "not so bad" either. Love is emotional, soothing, and reliable- much like an Anna Burch song. Not So Bad was the first single from this album, and I think choosing it to be the debut single was the right choice. It's lyrically, tonally, and emotionally different from Quit the Curse's accusatory, emotional tracks like 2 Cool 2 Care and Asking for a Friend.
From the very first single, I knew that this album was different. If You're Dreaming lovingly relates the beauty of love and the pain of yearning. Her voice seeps into my skin and soothes my heart with her hums. The most unique aspect of Anna Burch's music is how beautifully her clear, quality guitar playing, voice, and lyrics combine to present a soft cloud for you pine and long on. Still, not every song is blissful, Go It Alone is meditated anger and distilled pain in a gentle, melodic daydream.
If You're Dreaming is everything I expected and more of Anna Burch. Throughout my listening, desire and sentiment bubble up inside of me, giving a cathartic saturation of feeling. I'm especially impressed with the effect the closing of the album has on me. The last two songs, Every Feeling and Here With You, overtake my emotions. The songs make the words I long to say get caught in my throat. They make me yearn to be held while also filling me with the reassurance that I am loved.
If you want to feel every emotion that comes with loving and being loved, I highly recommend giving If You're Dreaming a listen.