ALBUM REVIEW: GIRL IN A BOTTLE

ALBUM – Girl In A Bottle

ARTIST – Anna of the North

LABEL – [PIAS]

GRADE – A-

Anna of the North’s Girl In A Bottle is a smooth electropop album that calms the saddened mood of heartbreak. This artist—from Gjøvik, Norway—continues to dabble in relaxing synths and steady beats similar to her earlier releases.

Girl In A Bottle explores the honesty of having loved and lost. The songs are lyrically vulnerable, highlighting a deep emotional intensity. Instrumentally, however, the songs are happy and even energetic. Together, the lyrics and instrumentals show the album’s dynamics, which require a thorough listen-through to fully understand.

“Since You” is upbeat and fun, yet explores what is and what could have been if things were different. Similarly, “Call Me” plays heavily on 80s pop synths, with Anna of the North’s soft lyrical voice echoing—she sings about being open to a past lover coming back into her life.

“Waiting For Love” is about the brief lovers that come into your life and get your hopes up, only to then leave. The song is emotionally strong, captivating the feeling she describes perfectly. 

In “Sunday My Heart Hurts,” there are slight folk influences which carry on throughout the song. The lyrics depict the days of the week and how emotions can change very quickly from Monday to Sunday.

With eight songs, two of which are short interludes that span under a minute, this album is quite short, with a playing time of only 23 minutes. Anna of the North is expected to release a second part of this album later this year, however, which will most likely bring more insight into her world of heartbreak.

—Maddie Gilder