Lyrically, vocally and melodically beautiful, here is the latest single from Ric Robertson. The New Orleans-based singer-songwriter has created an achingly sad tale, based on the character of Anna Rose, who, “… spends her evenings on the couch alone // sleeping by the big screen TV glow // and a silhouette of cardboard boxes // it’s been twenty five days // since she last felt the sunshine on her face // the only people coming by her place // are delivering wine to her doorstep.” Anna Rose gets high, “…hangin’ on a codeine kite-string,” becoming ever more distant from reality. Robertson’s emotive delivery is buoyed by soaring strings and fine backing vocals from Dori Freeman and Gina Leslie.
The accompanying video is, quite literally, a work of art. Featuring the glass art of Clinton Roman, it perfectly captures the fragility of Anna Rose’s life. Robertson and Roman worked together to produce an atmospheric stop-motion animation complete with a figurine to represent the tragic central character. Robertson’s friendship with the well-known glass artists Clinton Roman and Arik Krunk has led to him spending time with them over the last year, playing music and working together in their home studio. During one of their long nights together, they had the idea of collaborating on a stop motion video using Roman’s borosilicate glass art, something that’s possibly never been tried before. This is actually Roman’s first work since the trauma of losing his home studio in a wildfire. It’s a gorgeous return.
Musically, there’s a lot to enjoy here but, most of all, there is joy to be found in the creative collaboration of two great artists.
