{"product_id":"if-youre-dreaming","title":"If You’re Dreaming","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhen Anna Burch introduced herself on her 2018 debut \u003ci\u003eQuit The Curse\u003c\/i\u003e, it was with a concentrated wash of energetic, serotonin-boosting pop. Jangly guitars, blithe vocal harmonies and an occasional undercurrent of grungy fuzz all converged in seemingly straightforward songs that hid their complexities under sunny hooks. The impact of the songs was immediate and exciting, presenting narratives of confusion and upheaval with melodies so bright it was hard to do anything but smile. Two years later, Burch’s follow up \u003ci\u003eIf You’re Dreaming\u003c\/i\u003e takes us down a different path than its predecessor, shedding some nervous energy in favour of a deeper exploration of an internal world.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eIf You’re Dreaming\u003c\/i\u003e was tracked with producer Sam Evian in his home studio in the Catskill mountains of upstate New York. Where the first album had been a rush of inspired songwriting followed by a drawn-out process of arrangement and mixing, Burch and Evian worked with self-imposed time limitations to establish a sharper focus and get to the core of the new songs. The work was swift but somehow more relaxed, locking into a groove of tracking the basic elements and then expanding on the arrangements with overdubs and auxiliary instrumentation. The end goal was to present not just an assortment of new songs, but craft an album that moved dynamically through an interconnected emotional arc. With recurring themes of isolation, weariness and longing, these songs deliver that emotional arc with a delicate but uncompromising execution. Burch’s intrinsically catchy songwriting dials down the urgency of her debut a notch, taking a turn towards airy, jazz-voiced chords, floating reverb and an expansion of the sonic palate with unexpected instrumentation. The soft-rock bass grooves and understated saxophone lines of \u003ci\u003eNot So Bad \u003c\/i\u003epush an impressive pop structure into exciting new territory, and the sweetly melancholic \u003ci\u003eTell Me What’s True\u003c\/i\u003e centers around muted electric piano, its languid but metered vibe recalling the gentler side of Carole King.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe nuance of arrangements that could sometimes get buried on\u003ci\u003e Quit The Curse\u003c\/i\u003e rises to the surface on patient, opulent tunes like \u003ci\u003eEvery Feeling\u003c\/i\u003e and in the twelve-string guitar hooks of \u003ci\u003eParty’s Over\u003c\/i\u003e. The album drifts dreamily as much as it hones in with a sharper clarity on some of Burch’s most personal songs.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEven at its most introverted, I\u003ci\u003ef You’re Dreaming\u003c\/i\u003e is always warm and present. It’s a deliberately drawn chapter of Burch’s work, trading in the wild-eyed and sometimes neurotic party hopping of Quit The Curse for a more solitary walk after midnight. Daring and clear-headed, these songs cut deeper in their subtleties. \u003ci\u003eIf You’re Dreaming \u003c\/i\u003emoves with intention, taking its time revealing new layers of sophistication and growth in Burch’s always charming songcraft.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Heavenly Recordings","offers":[{"title":"Purple | LP","offer_id":50411537858891,"sku":"1084814","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/0bbce483-c21f-4be5-ab8f-9f822e236b1f_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726659706","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/de\/products\/if-youre-dreaming","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}