Anni Rossi - 'Afton' (4AD) Released 27/10/08

What to make of the viola-touting Anni Rossi, a 22 year old animated pixie with Regina Spektor and Scout Nibblett-y leanings. Classically trained from a young age and hailing from Minnesota, 'Afton' is Rossi's pilot mini-album, assured enough to register on most muso's radar of interest and can count Electralane and The Ting Tings amongst her fans. 'Afton' and the central viola playing have Rossi cut a release like a one-person Ukelele Orchestra Of Great Britain sans the cover songs, her spikey vocal scattered with tweety-pie and twee delivery, her homely folky-dokey songs striking an underlying message ekologique as inspiration is drawn from a changing natural world rubbing up with the man-made.

'Machine' jigs along merrily with cello as a uke, Rossi wringing out the expression -  "...can't buy these impulses from a machhheene/ aahhh...", it's all so dizzying and whooppee, yoww! Krazy Kats huh! The all-too-short and natty 'Ecology' shows an indie freedom of expression like Ms Rossi is sitting on an electric, yow, buzzer, yow, as she squeaks, warbles, sighs and yelps through a tight 4x4 rhythm with clarinet assist and a smudge of guitar - "...and playbears have lost their cheque books...", as 'West Coast' finds location in some Appalachian folk freference point, Rossi playing the scale with a derring-do of freedom, as structure is held in abeyance on the highlight of this release.

Meanwhile, 'Venice' strikes an avant-angular note of viola strings and boshing drums, finding a lyrical movement in the chorus - "...wrecking ball/ we all fall down...", whereas 'Wheelpusher' has chamber-esque airs of traditionality and talk of bee-keeping in the Himalayas, and 'Central Utah' spins chilling threads to paint a harsh and barren landscape, which Rossi reminds us, is not alien country, the slightest keyboard whistle underlying viola in all its' playfulness.

One for the female fraternity more so. Perhaps it's too soon to talk of a budding Joanna Newsom or Andrew Bird, but then who could have forseen 'Y's' following on from 'The Milk-Eyed Mender'. What's to find on 'Afton' is an infectious freedom of expression and flights of imagination and arrangment. Suffice to chart Anni Rossi as one to watch.