Anna von Hausswolff
Live at Montreux Jazz Festival


5.0
classic

Review

by ZIG USER (25 Reviews)
February 9th, 2022 | 27 replies


Release Date: 2022 | Tracklist

Review Summary: “Come here, I'll whisper something new”

It came out of nowhere when Anna von Hausswolff announced in 2021 her first live record, despite of doing some live videos from her 2018 world tour. Besides that, she did a 20-minute live session on KEXP back in 2013; a 4-episode documentary about the recording of her second LP; and some live clips. Regarding the successful Dead Magic tour, those concerts were memorable, powerful, ominous, and beautiful, showing Anna’s incredible vocal skills and her band’s energy. That’s exactly what Live at Montreux Jazz Festival archived.

Across six tracks, Anna performs a well-known repertoire from her two acclaimed albums: The Miraculous and naturally Dead Magic. The live nature of this record helps it a lot, mostly because the musicians master powerful dynamics and mix so naturally with her singing, including additional vocal from her sister Maria von Hausswolff. There’s a certain flow that goes through the concert. Almost like an immense ride, the music shifts from transcendental and hypnotic moods to an intense experience full of drama and dissonance.

For a moment, it recreated the astonished feeling of being there in one of those concerts. The loudness hitting one’s body, restraining the audience’s breath with the music’s mystical force that keeps immerging as if spellbound. The effortless vibrato dancing through the room. Impossible to fight back, one must allow being seduced by Anna’s atmosphere.

On this stunning live album, Anna von Hausswolff, a rather small woman in stature, stands unbelievably like a giant before the audience. This record amazingly captures the concert’s essence that goes from absolutely horrifying to categorically uplifting. For those who went to one of those concerts, this will be a time-capsule back to that night. For those who doesn’t, here is just an energy fragment of Anna’s unique performance.



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user ratings (43)
4.3
superb


Comments:Add a Comment 
Zig
February 9th 2022


2751 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

aoty

Ryus
February 9th 2022


37886 Comments


nice gotta check this

ReefaJones
February 9th 2022


3909 Comments


hell yeah

theBoneyKing
February 9th 2022


24673 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Fuccin’ rools

Trifolium
February 9th 2022


39957 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Zig YESSSSS 💚



This review rules. This album RULES.

Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
February 9th 2022


32179 Comments


So happy to see this reviewed. I was gonna do it but lack of time/inspiration/motivation got the best of me.

You did a great job Zig! The album is AMAZING.

Digging: Kelly Lee Owens - Dreamstate

bgillesp
February 10th 2022


8868 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Her albums are always slow growers for me, but this one started off very high. Let’s see where it goes

Demon of the Fall
February 10th 2022


35524 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

well it probably helped that you'd heard the songs before, no?

This is brilliantly done, certainly adds a different dimension to her material for sure.

Digging: Nala Sinephro - Endlessness

theBoneyKing
February 10th 2022


24673 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

It’s been a while since I listened to any of her previous albums to be fair, but the performances here are more powerful here for the most part, the only track that I’d say is notably weaker is “The Truth, the Glow, the Fall.” I do wish they didn’t include the applause as I find that kind of immersion breaking but this is a live album so I comes with the package.

Elynna
February 10th 2022


1486 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

This is absolutely stunning, but then again I expected nothing less from her. That live rendition of Ugly and Vengeful is just perfection and so much better than the studio version.

Trifolium
February 10th 2022


39957 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

So much better!!!!? It's good too I'd say. If better at all it's not by much!

ReefaJones
February 10th 2022


3909 Comments


yeah the studio versions are all amazing too.

theBoneyKing
February 10th 2022


24673 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Oh absolutely, that’s what makes this all the more impressive

TVC15
February 10th 2022


11375 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

Based



Trifolium
February 12th 2022


39957 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Feature yes! Great album!!!

SublimeSound
February 12th 2022


111 Comments


Great review. Never even heard of this artist: can't wait to give this a listen.

Deez
February 12th 2022


10498 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

Honestly find it mad that any Anna fans or fans of her music haven't already heard those pro shot you tube vids that have been kicking around forever especially the 'Ugly and Vengeful' from Sweden but the other 2 are from this very release. Everyone seems so surprised like you can watch any of them and see how her Live shows elevate much of her already wonderful recordings. I don't tend to fk with Live records but this in , unsurprisingly, amazing.Been lucky to see her Twice and both times , incredible. Met her on the way home once also and she is an absolute star. No one around chatting for ages wasn't trying to get away (or hid it well anyway!) Just an all rounder.

ReefaJones
February 16th 2022


3909 Comments


I've seen those videos. I didn't remember them being from this concert though.

ReefaJones
February 16th 2022


3909 Comments


I've seen those videos. I didn't remember them being from this concert though.

Deez
February 16th 2022


10498 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

https://youtu.be/h4SgP0pn0tM



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