Annabel Jones first popped up on my radar way back in 2014 with the still-magnificent “Magnetic.” That nabbed the Brit a major label record deal and she duly released an EP called Libelle in 2016. It turned out to be an uneasy fit. Annabel’s taste and aesthetic essentially leans alt, while the machinations of big business tried to turn her into a cat lady. Quite literally. The breakout star wasn’t having it and she decided to start her own label. “Spiritual Violence” is her first single via Headquarters and it bristles with the poetry and unforced eccentricity of earlier releases.
“We never met you and I, you could call it fate,” Annabel begins the ’80s-influenced gem. “You took me on the coldest ride, drowned me in the lake.” By the time the chorus comes around, our heroine is channeling Kate Bush circa Hounds Of Love. “It’s racing through my blood, but you love the touch,” she sings over melancholy synths. “Magic is real, spiritual violence.” This is one of those songs that immediately hooks you and then continues to bore its way into your brain with each subsequent listen. If “Spiritual Violence” is any indication, Annabel’s debut LP, Forgiveness, is going to be well worth the wait.
In other Annabel news, the singer/songwriter features on Monkees legend Davy Jone’s upcoming holiday album It’s Christmas Time Once More (due November 13). She joins her late father for a new recording of “White Christmas.” Listen to Annabel’s new single below.