Charming voices and songs

On the new albums by Anna Kaenzig and JJ & Palin you can discover two extraordinary talents.

Anna Känzig. Photo: zVg

In recent years, a striking number of talented and increasingly successful female singer-songwriters have emerged from the Zurich music scene - just think of Sophie Hunger, Fiona Daniel and Valeska Steiner (Boy). This has a lot to do with the improved training opportunities in the field of jazz and pop, as the example of Anna Kaenzig shows. The 28-year-old musician graduated from the jazz department of the Zurich University of the Arts. The jazzy echoes of her debut can be heard on the follow-up album Slideshow Seasons however, has largely disappeared. Instead, the typical American folk and country elements are more strongly expressed in her sensitive pop ballads.

Anna Kaenzig explains this influence by saying that her father grew up in the USA and that music influenced her as a child. She was particularly inspired by singers such as Emmylou Harris and Bonnie Raitt; Joni Mitchell can also be heard in places. The jazz lessons can only be detected in her nuanced vocals, which are reminiscent of the dreamy phrasing of Norah Jones. The songs, most of which were written by Anna Kaenzig herself, live essentially from this captivating voice. She sings her lyrics in a captivatingly effortless manner, which, in keeping with the basic musical mood, are mostly floatingly melancholy and deal with wanderlust, but also homesickness. Anna Kaenzig and her five accompanying musicians demonstrate excellent craftsmanship in the realization of the delicate songs.

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Anna Kaenzig: Slideshow Seasons. Distribution: annakaenzig.com

Anna Kaenzig's second album is beautifully crafted down to the last detail - and may therefore seem a little staid. At least in comparison to the debut album by JJ & Palin, the project by Sarah Vieth and Hans-Jakob Mühlethaler. The two draw on Meanwhile In Kolin They draw on all kinds of retro elements from folk to blues and gospel. However, they don't do this in a nostalgic way, but in a highly individual way and sometimes with a wink. Using all kinds of instruments, they create a raspy and always surprising soundscape that always leaves plenty of room for Sarah Vieth's vocals. And rightly so, because the 25-year-old fascinates with a huge range of expression.

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JJ & Palin: Meanwhile In Kolin. Distribution: irascible.ch

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