A great comeback record featuring high-quality songwriting.
Amy Annelle is a storyteller based in Austin, Texas. Annelle has been around the scene for some time, with a career stretching back more than for a quarter of a century, including time spent as vocalist with The Places; she also had a cover of Townes Van Zandt’s ‘Buckskin Stallion Blues‘ featured in the 2017 film ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’. “The Toll” marks Annelle’s return after an enforced break due to chronic illness. Recorded at Annelle’s Hedgewitch Hideaway studio, “The Toll” was co-produced by Annelle and Cooper McBean (of The Devil Makes Three and Cooper McBean and The Vested Interests), mixed by Darryl Neudorf and mastered by Greg Calbi. McBean also appears on the record, contributing vocals, guitar, banjo, bass and accordion. Other performers are Thom Washburn (drums, vocals and percussion), Beth Chrisman (violin), Henna Chou (cello), Bob Hoffnar (pedal steel guitar), Elaine Barber (harp) and Brian Beattie who plays the celeste.
Annelle’s voice, gentle one moment then soaring the next, is a highlight of the LP; her songwriting is outstanding, too. Annelle once described a song as being “like a wormhole you have to dive into”, her lyrics demonstrate an economy of words; just enough to paint a picture, but allowing the listener to add their own interpretation. All 12 songs here are self-penned.
Opening track ‘Pull Tabs and Broken Glass‘ (the first single release from the album) is a standout cut; it features harmony vocals from Jolie Holland. The song sees the singer focusing on secret hopes and dreams, looking back at a chequered past. “There’s a song in near everything, a story seldom told, of an old house still standing on the dark side of the road.” The chorus has such a strong hook, it’s a proper earworm; good luck trying to get it out of your head after a listen.
Next up is ‘Let Me Be‘ which starts with a cello introduction. It’s about a troubled soul, aware of past mistakes, “The road that I took was the long one. Many times I’ve seen it fade to black. So what if it was the wrong one? Only one thing for sure is that you can’t go back. I won’t go back.” However outside help is shunned and the plea is simply to be left alone, “I wouldn’t let you help me, if you were the last man on Earth” and “So please, just let me be.”
‘Down and out in Denver‘ (the second single) sees the subject at a low ebb in a cold, inhospitable old railroad town; it features the line “I cried, for I finally had nothing to lose but a guitar and my worn-out shoes.” Banjo and fiddle are the prominent instruments here. ‘I Loved a Lad‘ is moody, at times reminiscent of Laura Marling; the song is about love affairs, all ultimately unsuccessful, but across a number of different characters. ‘Why Did He Take His Love Away?‘ is a beautiful song, with Annelle’s voice backed by cello, harp and sumptuous harmonies. A woman reflects on being wronged by a former lover; “Now his heart has closed its door, his sweet lips have gone still. Oh, why did he take his love away, and leave me unfulfilled?” While ‘Common Law Marriage‘ on which Annelle duets with McBean, is an entertaining, light-hearted look at a relationship where both parties have settled for a less than perfect partner, with an acknowledgement that they’ll never get married. “I don’t say ‘I do’, that don’t mean that I don’t love you. But after all I’ve been through, I don’t have a clue. No diamond ring on my finger. No wedding bells are ringin’ for me. No, no, no. Common law marriage.”
‘That Lonesome Whistle‘ is another standout on the record; based on the themes raised in the song ‘Little Black Train‘ (a traditional song where the little black train represents death, recorded by The Carter Family, Woody Guthrie and others). As life passes by, acknowledged by Annelle as she sings “Blowin’, don’t you hear it blowin’? That lonesome whistle, oh. Please hear me when I say: that Little Black Train gets closer every day. So try, try, try to let it roll on by.” ‘The Ballad of Fire and Water‘ is another song about watching one’s lover move on; this time referencing Terry Allen’s song ‘The Beautiful Waitress‘ from the 1979 LP “Lubbock (On Everything)“, and suggesting all men fall in love with their waitresses. Annelle sings “Now you’re driving a U-Haul out West with a waitress. Miles and miles and miles away from us. You lived with me four years, loved me for two.” Title track ‘The Toll‘ brings things to a conclusion. Again it’s to do with a struggling relationship; Annelle sings “Evening finds me sad and blue, looking for someone to tell my troubles to” and concludes “I am but a weary traveler, with no coin to pay the toll.”
You can’t escape the conclusion that the general feel of the songs throughout the album is negative; with failed and struggling relationships to the fore. That said, these songs tend to be beautifully written and performed. With the caveat to approach with caution if you’re feeling particularly sensitive, this is a really good record.
