Annie Feed Water is a small band from Houghton Michigan. The band was found in 2001 by guitarist Matt Manninen and bassist Tony Dutcher. The band recorded many homemade records in 3 years and in early 2004 had vocalist Mike Couling, and keyboardist Chuck Ritola join. The cd was recorded spring/summer of 2004 and released on January 1st 2005 on Markersniffer Records.
The album is one of those albums that can't be classified as a certain style. All the songs have their own sound, which is fitting, because Couling sounds like a different singer on every song. Manninen and Dutcher do vocals for the last song "Obey the Skeletion" and Manninen does "Persethany" and "Where The Willows Weep". The vocals are great in everyway for each song. From the slight British accent in "The Nothingness Of Stories Told", to the old radio sound of "Grey Afternoons and Crashing Cars" to ultamate preach against religion in "Gold Is My Shepard".
The sound on the album is varied a bunch. With every song not being able to be totally categorized in one certain area. The band rocks hard with a drum machine backing that gives a definate industrial feel. The band also has definate goth-ish undertones in the album. With all the rocking there is a few interludes to breathe. With two ballads, the most noticable being "Ghost" which is very creepy.
The band takes a lot of elements from different bands. Takes aspects from bands like Smashing Pumpkins, Dredge, Faith No More(Couling sounds like he could be someone like Mike Patton soon), and Depeche Mode. I would consider this album to anyone who likes these bands.
Any of the songs could be a favorite track, except for the last song which drives on way too long. But my favorites have to be:
Gold Is My Shepard
Wire Wire, Town On Fire
Meridian
Final score 4/5
A good start, I can't wait to see what they do next.
They are a local artist and so I will put a link up to the band if you would like to hear clips and whatnot. It's to be fair to the band because they have started up.
