Oh doesn’t that sound romantic? Well it is. We have fallen in love with Alanna Gurr. It’s official. We haven’t set a date yet, but it really is meant to be. She’s a great little folkie-singer who lives right here in London. She recently recorded and posted some songs on her myspace. I highly encourage you to check them out. Also, between you, me, and the wall, Open House is planning to release those songs plus more in a nice little EP for your listening pleasure.

The reason I’ve decided to tell you all about Alanna right now is because her little handmade EP of 4 songs she recently recorded was reviewed at CHRW and we’re really excited about it! Here’s the link OR the full review is after the jump!

CHRW Review:

Alanna J. Gurr does not have an over-indulgent voice. After listening to her lyrics, you really can’t imagine Alanna’s songs being sung by anyone else, nor would you want to. Her voice, soft with a bit of a rasp, adds a subtle beauty to lyrics that are already lovely. The songs themselves are a compromise between the personal trials of the artist and the empathy provoked in the listener. The songs are not happy. They explore how life’s upsets contain a misunderstood type of beauty, one that is difficult to appreciate when recovering from disappointment. You can’t ignore how, despite the believability of Alanna’s sadness, the superb composition of her songs make you interpret her lyrics from a completely different perspective. Her lyrics are bleak, but not scathing; her voice is rough but not haggard. Alanna’s album is an exploration of in-betweens, maintaining a distance from any specific classification.
More good news: Alanna is a local artist. Though this is a solid album on its own, there is something reassuring about knowing there is such a talented artist in our midst.