Laura Kerry
The name Anamon comes from Ana Emily Monaco, a musician and singer-songwriter who has played in several bands in the Rochester, New York area. Anamon began as a solo project, but Monaco recruited Aaron Mika and Benton Sillick last year to fill in the sound.
In “Stubborn Comfort,” the title track off of their debut album, Anamon exhibit the intimacy leftover from Monaco’s solo act days, as well as the uninhibited energy that emerges from a band jibing so well together. It opens with lo-fi guitar and distant but strong vocals. When the drums and bass enter, Monaco goes on the defensive: “Can I talk to you for a second, maybe a minute / Without you charging at me with your big horns?” Later, she revisits the theme of confrontation, singing, “Maybe that's my problem all along / I’m too passive and I want to be aggressive” as her voice trails off in a low register. One could imagine these lyrics showing up in a heated conversation or a passed note; her words are direct and potent, cutting through the grind of distorted guitar and loose drums. Simple but full and emotionally raw, “Stubborn Comfort” is an enticing look at what’s to come on Anamon’s new album.