By Emily DiAlbert, Contributor
[Polyvinyl, 2018]
Rating: 6.5/10

Key Tracks: “Belle Isle”, “In your Dreams”, “What I Want”

After spending years working with several different bands, indie-pop singer/songwriter Anna Burch picks herself up by the bootstraps, releasing her debut album, Quit the Curse. Focused on both budding romances and unsatisfying relationships, the record is full of upbeat, easy-listening tracks made for jamming to in the car.

Simple, airy guitar strums welcome listeners to Quit the Curse’s opening track, “2 Cool 2 Care”. The song focuses on a lingering infatuation of Burch’s, discussing how this individual didn’t seem to care about her, which only made Burch care more. The delivery of the angst-ridden lyrics is smooth and honeyed—Burch’s voice rising and falling with ease throughout. The opening track serves as a teaser for what’s yet to come, only giving listeners a glimpse of Burch’s beachy-yet-relaxed musicality.

“Belle Isle” slows the quick-paced album down for Burch to really delve into her emotions. The singer uses dreamy and mellow guitar riffs to aid in describing a newfound crush. Similarly, “In Your Dreams” adds beautifully blended chord progressions to Burch’s slower new-wave sound in a stunning tune about a poor relationship.  Still adhering to a leisurely pace, “What I Want”, a warmer track, further explains Burch’s desire to find love.

Other tracks on the album hover around the topics of finding love, getting over a past relationship or not being satisfied enough, all the while sounding fresh and relaxing.

Quit the Curse concludes after a brief 32 minutes, marking another chapter in Burch’s musical career. The exploratory indie record, mixing and matching different sounds from different eras, highlights Burch’s musical capabilities, and you don’t want it to stop. It’s unknown what Burch’s future has in store, but the new solo artist has an easily-recognizable talent and, after a record like this, there’s no stopping her now.

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