Here’s the latest release from New York singer-songwriter Annie Dressner, now settled in Cambridge, here in the UK. “For The Thrill Of It” is full of questions about how you live your life, seemingly mundane ideas that reveal something of your character. The song jumps in with Dressner’s vocals straightaway and the question, “Do you touch art in museums?” However, these minor transgressions hide a serious message about the music industry. Dressner explains the inspiration behind the song: “Speaking on the single, the message in the lyrics is about the pervasive issue of misogyny in the music industry, where inappropriate behaviour too often goes unaddressed or overlooked; the song aims to inspire positive change in attitudes towards women in music and to encourage women to feel safe in speaking out.”
Dressner’s distinctive, lilting voice finds and follows a typically catchy tune over jangling instrumentation and an upbeat rhythm. The song is full of energy and movement, just like the accompanying good-humoured video.
“For the Thrill of It” follows Dressner’s fourth full-length album, 2024’s “I Thought It Would Be Easier”, which was full of personal stories, clever wordplay and absorbing melodies. Her songs have received lots of airplay on BBC Radio 6 Music, Radio 2 and Radio 1. Last year, she embarked on a headline tour and enjoyed support slots with the likes of Badly Drawn Boy, Bernard Butler (Suede) and The Trials of Cato. Currently, Dressner is putting her fifth album together with AUK-favourite Peter Bruntnell on production duties. It promises to be another fine collection. In the meantime, get dancing along to “For the Thrill of It” – listen here.
