A quick scan of my blog revealed I’ve followed Anna Smyrk’s career since 2013. She’s achieved so much in that time, moving from her home in regional Victoria to far-flung places including Cambodia, the Philippines, and the Solomon Islands, and recently serving as a consultant for the World Health Organization. Despite all the changes in her life, music has been a constant. After being based in Papua New Guinea assisting with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, she’s back on home soil for the release of her third EP, The Hour Between Us, which I honestly believe is her best yet.
It’s a timely release which Anna describes as “a record about all the things that keep us apart and all the things that bring us together.” That content is so poignant right now as we all come back together and adjust to a new kind of normal. Anna’s always had a knack for songwriting and it’s beautifully realised here. Her sound has evolved though into one more confident and edgy. “Song from the 36th Floor” shows us the gentle folk balladeer is still in there, but new elements of rock and indie pop give most of the tracks a bolder sound.
I was on board from the release of the opening track “Human Condition” a few months ago, and I’m thrilled to hear this EP features more songs in that vein. There’s a poppier vibe to the next track “You Break It, You Bought It” one of three songs about long-distance love on this EP. With “Song from the 36th Floor” and the current single “Daylight Saving,” they beautifully capture the longing, pain, and uncertainty that often accompanies loving someone who you’re frequently separated from. As someone who married a guy on the other side of the world, they really resonate with me. Many of the songs plumb painful content, as you might expect for an EP featuring songs developed during the pandemic, but Anna leaves us with hope. The final track “Wallace Street” is a heart-warming ballad about finding love within the crumbling walls of a Melbourne share house.
The Hour Between Us really reflects the world right now, but I think it’ll be one of those recordings I return to long after the pandemic feels fresh. I’ve always loved Anna’s music, but she’s taken her sound to another level with this release. The Hour Between Us is out now.
Image used with permission from This Much Talent; credit: Giulia McGauran