Literary songwriter Anna May has released her new single, “The Cliff.”
Produced by Steve Rizzo, the track is Anna May’s much-anticipated follow-up to her previous single, “Elegy.” “The Cliff” is "written from the precarious juncture of dreams and reality."
On the meaning behind the track, May says: “What is it like to reach the precipice, and to then fall down? Our human journey is to never remain in one fixed state. This song is euphoria, acceptance, frustration, regret, longing, bitterness, and envisioning, traversing the unknowns surrounding cliffs.”
Known for her introspective trance folk and self-proclaimed “PhD in break-up songs,” Anna May is making waves as an alternative, tragic Americana artist, carving out a space with her exploration of heartbreak, trauma, and lonely whimsy.
“The Cliff” is early turn-of-the-century pop meets 50s doo-wop, with a spark of Elliot Smith and Nick Drake woven throughout. The song starts up with acoustic folk guitar, before Anna May’s warm, silky, Paula Cole-esque vocals move effortlessly through harmonies and some truly lovely tonal acrobatics.
Hidden within the gentle sounds of “The Cliff” is Anna May’s explicit, unflinchingly emotional take on a tumultuous relationship with someone it isn’t clear if she loves or hates – even as she clearly wants them deeply.
May sings I oscillate between major and minor/we oscillate between hate and desire/between the icy cold and the hottest fire/between life and the funeral pyre.
This is a heated, complex desire, and Anna May doesn’t hold back—her lyrics and striking vocal tone deserve to be heard far and wide.
