Anticipation can be an unwelcome burden; the proverbial double-edged sword. One moment, you’re overwhelmed with excitement, bursting with the need to see, hear; know. The next, you’re awash in disappointment, the lofty expectations you held ruined by the cold light of reality. It’s been said that the feeling of anticipation one experiences exceeds the actual event. While I’ve found that to be true in some instances, It’d Surprise You, the latest offering from Annita & the Starbombers, isn’t one of them.
The overdue follow-up to 2002’s What Good’ll It Do Me, It’d Surprise You is an almost pitch perfect example of what Dutch songbird Annita is capable of. Annita and her longtime backing band, the Starbombers—lead guitarist K.C. Byrd, Jeroen Haagedoorn (aka Larry Tulip) on the upright bass, rhythm guitarist J.J. Slijk and drummer Rutger Berends—take listeners on a smooth ride through soft country ballads, twangy honkytonkers and silky swing songs. The disc kicks off with the group’s flawless take on Bob Weldon’s “Mr. Fly-By-Night”. Annita’s bouncy vocal and the Starbombers’ solid guitar work weave effortlessly together into one of the record’s finest tunes.
K.C. Byrd shares singing duties with Annita on a handful of numbers, including country two-stepper “Which One is to Blame” and the Clyde McPhatter-Ruth Brown collaboration, “I Gotta Have You”. The pair elevates the album with “Not Anymore”, a velvety country toe tapper. The moment Annita and K.C. Byrd’s sweetly blended “Leave me…” pours from the speakers, you know you’re in for something special. The pair’s honeyed vocals of love and loss wrap around you, as soothing and inviting as a fleece-lined cloak on a blustery winter day.
Annita delivers on the album’s title track, proving herself to be equally adept at belting out this Jan Smith classic as she is with the early Sun Records rockabilly-flavored soundalike, “Stop”. Hank Thompson’s “I’ll Keep on Loving You” is on the receiving end of a rockabilly redo, thanks to the adept guitarmanship of the Starbombers, and is a fine showcase of the group’s musical proficiency.
Sandwiched between “Columbus G.A.”, a fun country swing romp, and a powerful version of Ann Jones’ “You Won’t Find Me Singing the Blues for You” is “Burn That Candle”. Annita & the Starbombers’ rendition of the song popularized by Bill Haley & His Comets is a solid example of the vocalist’s versatility and ability to blur the edges between music genres, spinning this 50s-era rock and roller into an almost Rosemary Clooney-esque standard.
It’d Surprise You is saturated with some of Annita’s biggest musical influences—Charline Arthur, Rose Maddox and Kay Starr are among those who receive a tip of the hat from the singer—but it’s country music queen Patsy Cline’s “Strange” that truly receives Annita’s royal treatment. “Strange” is the perfect vehicle for Annita’s multi-faceted voice. Haunting and ethereal, the tune is filled with bold, soaring notes and lilting tones. Patsy Cline has some large musical shoes to fill, and Annita does so nicely.
The album closes with “I Hear You Talking”, a bonus track performed by the Starbombers’ alter ego, popular European western swing band the Barnstompers. Upbeat and mellow, the number is the cherry on top of an already tasty sundae.
emerged as an in demand act within both American and European rockabilly circles.
So, what is it that makes It’d Surprise You such an unsurprisingly good listen? Is it the country duets? The blues tunes? The rockabilly, jazz or swing numbers? It’s all of these…and more. As Annita shared with me in a 2010 interview for Blue Suede News magazine, “I don’t really think in genres, but whether I like a song or not. To me, a song has to have either emotions, swing, a story to tell or just kick ass.”
It’d Surprise You does just that.
