Frozenstarpalace

As a Milwaukee girl, I was eagerly anticipating hearing Michelle Anthony’s second album, the mini-LP Frozenstarpalace. Anthony recorded it as a document of moving from Milwaukee, WI to Austin, TX, and has described it in interviews as having a “Milwaukee vibe,” despite having been recorded in Milwaukee, Austin, Chicago and Los Angeles. You might think that the record would be uneven, having been recorded at so many different times and places, but that’s not the case. Anthony’s claim that the album is a year-long song cycle is a good one, as some songs reflect the cold Wisconsin winter, and others are sunnier and poppier.

Anthony’s music reminds me a lot of Aimee Mann; both women are rock with a pop twist, and their voices are similar in emotion and depth. Anthony’s album is both sad and triumphant, a story of a woman in the middle of a life change. Fans of Aimee Mann, as well as Carole King and Bonnie Raitt, both of whom Anthony has also been compared to, would be wise to check out Anthony, a well-hidden treasure.

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