Anika Anika

The two brains behind Anika's self-titled debut – Anika and Geoff Barrow – apparently bonded when they met through a mutual friend and realized they share a love for punk, dub, and '60s girl groups. It was an instant bonding, too, as they rushed into the studio a week later to begin recording. Backed by Barrow's side-project Beak>, the singer cranked out her debut in a matter of 12 days. Anika plays like a blending of politically driven lyrics sung over a mixture of Barrow-guided noise, punk, reggae, rock, and other genres. This is perhaps best heard on almost danceable lead single, “Ying Yang,” a distorted, monotonous blitz.

Abstract by Andrew Martin