With her Joey Lauren Adams voice, sex-kitten strut, and confident pop/rock melodies,
Anya Marina sounds fairly grown up on her major-label debut. 2004's
Miss Halfway found her pitching a batch of bedroom-folk melodies atop acoustic guitar chords, but
Slow & Steady Seduction: Phase II owes its energy to the dancefloor rhythms created by producer Brian Karscig (of the raunchy rock act
Louis XIV), whose influence helps boost
Marina's confidence and volume. She remains rooted in the singer/songwriter tradition, meaning she writes for the discerning listener rather than the oversexed club attendee, yet
Marina nevertheless welcomes elements of glammed-up rock into the album's best songs. "Afterparty at Jimmy's" builds its foundation on electric guitar and booming snare hits, with
Marina's snarky commentary on the SoCal hipster lifestyle ("So you say you've got a band? Mmm! Three parts
Kinks and one part
the Jam?") providing the snarky icing on the cake. Several tracks earlier, "Move You (SSSPII)" opens the disc with soft croons before careening into stomp-clap percussion and quick harmonies, while "All the Same to Me" pairs thudding drums with neo-jazz instrumentation.
Anya Marina sounds coolly cocky throughout, whether she's asserting her dominance over an intended partner ("one of these days, you'll be falling for the least of my moves") or speaking Spanish during a cover of "Waters of March (Águas de Março)." This may not be the same girl who bemoaned her average-ness in
Miss Halfway's title track, but the new
Marina is much more fun. ~ Andrew Leahey