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26 years old and teeming with talent, Anna Aaron can convey an unbelievable, unstoppable flow of emotions. Even in the misleadingly soothing ballads there is a darkness, there is violence, there is harshness. This striking collection of songs, carried by a deeply magnificent voice and an austere yet profound piano, are instantly unforgettable. Two years after the promising "I Will Dry Your Tears Little Murderer", Anna Aaron goes beyond our wildest expectations with "Dogs In Spirit", a stormy, obsessive, mad album of treacherous rock songs.

Starting with the magnificent drone-like "Elijah's Chant", the tone subtly changes to melodic mid-tempo folk-rock, ballads, haunted and rough rock songs, lyrically balancing apocalyptical despair and soft spoken messages of hope. Anna Aaron can ignite a deceptively beautiful tune: "Queen Of Sound", "King Of The Dogs", the ever evolving "In The Devil's Camp", the troubling "Fire Over The Forbidden Mountain" or the agonizing torment of "The Drain Out", which features the prestigious and pertinent trumpet of Erik Truffaz.

In myths and in legends, dogs have been granted fantastical powers, breathing fire and guiding the souls of the dead. for Anna Aaron, they are more a symbol of weakness. She says herself that while writing the songs of "Dogs In Spirit" she felt the need to express how small and desperate the human soul can be. "suffering resides in failure to understand. I wanted to symbolically invoke this pain, this tension, this fear that we have when facing the world. In the end my lyrics are about the many different forms of psychological violence."

Despite her interest in mythology, ancient symbolism and her schooling in philosophy and German literature, "Dogs In Spirit" could not be called a concept album. It is simply a record that speaks of all the doubts a young woman can have when faced with her future, love, life, God, death. Hell, monsters and biblical figures might pop up here and there, but only to reinforce a feeling of powerlessness, a sense of fear. A soul that is crushed, a heart that is shattered, suffering, passion, all of these themes are boldly and brilliantly explored.

With the educated help of producer Marcello Giuliani, "Dogs In Spirit" is a record of simple grace, ambitious scope and, amidst all the rage, all the anger, it is a beautiful beacon of light and hope.