Album Name: Naked Pictures Inside
Artist: Anne Deming
Year/Label: 2002 / Brutally Honest Records
Review by Amy Lotsberg Producer of Collected Sounds
First of all, yes, “Naked Pictures Inside” does indeed feature naked pictures inside. Tasteful, gorgeous pictures, but that’s not the point.
This is Anne’s follow up release to “Beautifully Scarred” and she does it again. This is a beautiful record. On this release she ventures into a fuller sound, producing it herself with the help of Jon Koehler, “manager plus”. Anne’s voice is incredible and would sound fantastic all by itself, but the added aural adventures make the songs rich and full.
Her beautiful songwriting returns. She covers sadness, hope, and love so hard it hurts. Stand out tracks for me are: “Someone to Believe”: what a great way to start out the record.
“Lullaby” is just a gorgeous song. It reminds me of early Sarah McLachlan.
“My Baby” Here Anne branches out with a nice techno/trip hoppy feel.
“Softest Touch” features Anne on piano and her voice is crystal clear. Stunning. And don’t forget to let the CD run…you’ll find a nice hidden surprise.
Though it has a different feel, fans of “Beautifully Scarred” will not be disappointed.
Another Review by Digman
A non-artificial, intrinsic musical complex of emotional and intellectual attributes (writing), combined with the excited-state of vocal chord phrasing (singing), which resolves into a distinguished musical matrix (The Deming-Factor) of heart, soul and song.
Structured in an eleven-track (1 hidden) theory of philosophical transformation (thoughts into sound), “Naked Pictures Inside” is a well-performed musical equation, and it is…Demingly good!
Recorded and produced in Deming’s home studio, “Naked Pictures Inside” is pleasantly absent of the all the normal (usually too much) prepackaged instrumental glamour. In other words, it is instrumentally naked, which in other words means: “there is nothing to hide behind here, so I really need to sing.” And Deming really sings!
Voice-wise and lyric-wise, Deming is a blues picture painted into a parabolic landscape of folk art. Listen to “Circles” or “The Softest Touch.” Read as you listen – ‘if pain is this bitter/then love better be as sweet’ or ‘and I’m thinking of you/a little to much/but never enough…I only crave…the softest touch’… enough said. This is a voice that not only sings, but also writes!
Musically assisted by Jon Koehler (keyboards, guitar), “Naked Pictures Inside” is a soundscape of (un) enhanced musical beauty. It is as I mentioned before – Demingly good!
Posted on October 19, 2001
Track Listing
1. Someone to Believe in Me
2. I Can’t Love You Any Harder
3. Something to Fall Into
4. Circles
5. Lullaby
6. Take My Love and Run
7. Room to Breathe
8. My Baby
9. You Still Take My Breath Away
10. Softest Touch