REVIEW: Anya Hinkle “Oceania”

Anya Hinkle - Oceania

This North Carolina singer-songwriter has an engagingly smooth-toned classic vocal with an album that appears to be pop tunes but isn’t. She’s the real thing, like Mimi Farina or early, early Marianne Faithful (“Wild Mountain Tyme” era) - folky, melodic with a smoky Joni Mitchell radiance & with rich traditional instincts.

Her opener “Bound Away,” is breezy as a cool rain on a humid day. Nine bracingly smart tunes showcase Anya’s Oceania (Drops May 10/Red Parlor Records/41:00) produced by Kevin Maloney & recorded in Asheville, NC. Anya possesses an interesting storytelling style that at times borders on a jazzy inflection (“Devil Chasin’ Me”) despite many of her tunes being more folk-oriented. But that’s where her diversification lies — aptly applied to whatever she chooses to sing. There are tonalities similar to Joan Osborne, Jewel, Paula Cole & even Norah Jones in this showcase & that’s for reference. Ms. Hinkle has mixed cargo in this shipment, but everything is palatable & stylistically tasteful.

I like this. It caresses the ears & it can also be considered soul music with disguises - it moves soulfully in secretive ways. And this set doesn’t lack that ambiance. The fleeting melodic lines of “The Queen’s Ships,” has this element. While it’s not jazz it does suggest Anya’s ability as a jazz chanteuse - she has the tone, moody intonation, phrasing & range to be suave & cool with just enough Enya & Bird York to keep Anya quite interesting through her repertoire of inspired songs.

Anya Hinkle (acoustic guitar/vocals) isn’t as rural & raw as Iris DeMent or as commercially sweet as Emmylou Harris. She has a preserving tradition in her tonality - she may not be whiskey-voiced but her honey is dark & she lingers on the tongue. She has a vocal quality the way the sun glistens on the mud like gold after a humid day’s summer rain. Her voice often drifts in the delivery through the words rather than with simple pronunciation.

One listens to “Eitil Away,” & will be convinced that this lady has a voice — but graced as well with a traditional style & lots of class.

One of the year’s best.

Highlights - “Bound Away,” “Devil Chasin’ Me,” “The Queen’s Ships,” “Fortuna,” “Anabel Lee,” “Dark Angel,” “Castaway” & “Eitil Away.”

Musicians - John Doyle (guitar/mandola/bouzouki), Billy Cardine (dobro/lap steel/Moog lap steel/chaturangui), Daniel Kimbro (electric bass), River Guerguerian (drums/percussion), Mary Rinard (organ/electric piano), Mary Lucey (bgv), Michael McGoldrick (Uilleann pipes/low whistle), Mick McAuley (accordion) & Juan Benavides (nylon string guitar).

CD photography by WW Reaves. CD @ Amazon + https://anyahinkle.com/home & https://propermusic.com/products/anyahinkle-oceaniaVideo Premiere: https://americanahighways.org/2024/05/06/video-premiere-anya-hinkle-bound-away/