![News Added Aug 18, 2013 Annie‘s track record is pretty much unmatched: On her first two albums, the Norwegian pop songbird collaborated with Royksopp, Richard X and Xenomania for glittering electropop that was equal parts aching and exhilarating, but she’s taken a more focused eye with her third release and first EP, The A&R EP. […]](https://hasitleaked.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/homepage_large.70db16ce.jpg "Annie : The A&R EP")
Annie‘s track record is pretty much unmatched: On her first two albums, the Norwegian pop songbird collaborated with Royksopp, Richard X and Xenomania for glittering electropop that was equal parts aching and exhilarating, but she’s taken a more focused eye with her third release and first EP, The A&R EP. Produced by Richard X (although Little Boots and Hannah Robinson have writing credits on “Back Together” and “Hold On,” respectively), the EP is taut and lean, heavy on hooks and filler-free.
“Back Together” is ’70s disco-lite, while “Mixed Emotions” evokes the Scandinavian Italo disco of Sally Shapiro at her best; “Hold On” is gorgeously loose. Consider my bias since I premiered it here on Idolator last week, but “Ralph Macchio” might be the highlight, a sugar-sweet 8-bit masterpiece. Meanwhile, “Invisible” feels like a lost ’90s deep rave cut. It spans several decades of electro influence, but it all sounds decidedly modern — and like Annie doing what she does best, synths and glacial vocals and singalong refrains.
