Since migrating to the U.K. early in her career, singer-songwriter Annie Dressner has found a growing audience for her sweet and bubbly acoustic sound. On her third full-length album, Coffee at the Corner Bar, the ex-New Yorker muses on personal accounts of love, grief and growth. In line with its casual title, this new set of breezy folk songs would fit seamlessly into a hip coffee house’s Sunday morning playlist, but there’s no mistaking Dressner’s songs come from a deeply personal place. The material on her latest record is unabashedly nostalgic in both its warm and comforting atmosphere and by way of lyrical mementos that call back to encounters from a past life.
Produced by her husband Paul Goodwin, the music on Corner Bar falls in line with the instrumental makeup of Dressner’s previous releases albeit more vibrant and polished. Delicate picking patterns are complemented by subtle accents of piano and percussion which provide a rhythmic backdrop for her autobiographical lyrics. As a narrator Dressner is direct and descriptive, recalling details in a way that evokes genuine longing. Tracks like “Midnight Bus” and “Pretend” exemplify her conversational style and vocal cadence, bringing to mind a more melancholy take on Jenny Lewis’ fragile timbre.
Purchase and stream Annie Dressner’s new album Coffee at the Corner Bar out everywhere this Friday, September 4.
Riffs & Rhymes 