Anna Domino

Anna Domino is one of those artists who have somehow remained undiscovered by the masses during her 20-year career. She’s never been blessed with more than a cult following, yet she has enough fans that her early albums are in the process of being re-mastered and reissued to replace worn vinyl copies. Her self-titled debut initially appeared back in 1986 after a string of singles and EPs. At this time, Domino was splitting her time between Belgium (where her label Les Disques du Crepuscule was based) and New York, and that is reflected in her jazzy, cosmopolitan music, which isn’t unlike what Everything But The Girl were up to at the same time. Her songs still sound sophisticated even if there is a simplicity and poppiness that simply isn’t reflected in the lyrics. There’s a darkness to many of her words that requires repeated listening to fully digest. The music, not surprisingly, does sound a little dated on some songs, with that ‘80s keyboard sound that won’t be tolerated by non-fans. That is also reflected in the remix of "Summer” by Arthur Baker, which is not particularly effective. The other bonus tracks (most of which are b-sides) added to the original album are a little better, but it is the main album that is the real draw and it sounds as good as it ever did.