Annie Hayden - The Enemy of Love

What appears as a little wisp of a record has much more depth than a first listen might convey and may scare off listeners. Enemy of Love, Annie Hayden’s second solo record was several years in the making and demonstrates some significant musical growth, and it is worth it, to borrow the name of a song on the album, to “Wait for Returns.” Annie wears her influences on her guitar strap as she name checks Cat Stevens (Cara Mia) and references Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young on “Your Carnival.” These thirteen songs were intelligently recorded and wonderfully arranged using an array of instruments. As in film, not a moment of this half an hour is left unaccounted for, even the negative space created by the piano’s pause on the Carole King-inspired “Hip Hooray” figures prominently. Ms. Hayden spent the last decade performing as guitarist in New Jersey’s now defunct Spent. Her roots are clear, as her singing voice is heavy schooled in the mid-90s tradition that also educated the Juliana Hatfields and Lisa Loebs of the musical world. But these little-girl vocals almost do a real disservice to the singer. Unlike the other artists who may perform this way, the sweetness hides a deep cynicism; although it is not clear if this is a calculated move. To make matters even more confusing, her penchant for sickeningly sweet lyrics—literally in some cases (“I Wonder How to be an Ice Cream Cone/Pretty Little Berry on Top of the World”), further shield a wry take on relationships and life. Her deceptively sweet rendition of the Replacement’s “Swingin’ Party,” however, almost reveals more about the song’s double entendre than the original, almost. [www.anniehayden.com]