Annie Hardy is not arsed. It’s time to write a new EP? Yeah, I’m just gonna channel it straight out of the ether when the studio time starts. The resultant songs forming the ‘Cross Bearer’ EP are five brittly affecting, humour-laced goth-folk tunes? *shrugs*. And this isn’t a new development, either. Her debut album ‘Hearts and Unicorns’, released in 2005 as half of the duo Giant Drag, was received with loud critical acclaim, but the follow-up EP took half a decade to materialise, followed by chequered spans of sporadic Giant Drag and solo creations. Last year saw Harding up the ante with a mighty 12 releases over 6 months, but don’t be mistaken, she still barely gives a shit.
Thankfully, her level of enthusiasm bears no sway over whether her tunes are much cop, as the ‘Cross Bearer’ EP is frankly exquisite (or maybe apathy is excellent and that’s why it’s so ace). Throughout the course of the record the LA artist utilises spooky theremin, jaunty organ, vulnerable acoustic guitar and droll, free-form word association to break down heartbreak, frustration, alien abduction and rugs whose mothers never gave them a hug. Like a grungy Adam Green without conventional song structure and without hooks, remaining utterly compelling, trying to make sense of the world by having tonnes of aching knotted emotion but still opting to sign final track ‘Ghost’ off with a half-caring: “whatever”.
The excellent ‘Cross Bearer’ EP was released through Full Psycho records on 11th January 2024. You can find it on all of the streaming sites right now. You can also find the video for the epic ‘Haunted’ below:
Edge of Arcady 