Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
In a rare bout of musical honesty Annie Hardy of L.A. rock outfit Giant Drag has put herself through a seven year hell in making what has become a really decent and heart felt album full of pathos, catchy tunes but with an element that many would shy away from, namely the look hard look at what she has gone through in her life, especially the last few years which has seen prescription drug addiction and others around her having mental health issues and the final over riding result is the excellent album Waking Up Is Hard To Do.
It has been a long time coming, perhaps too long but therein lies the rub, you have to feel affection for Annie Hardy as the album title suggests, to feel as though you have been sleeping through life for so long is not good for the mind, the music or the soul. Many would walk away from working on something that has taken the best part of decade but when the listener goes through the tracks that are integral to showing exactly how Annie feels about the time, in to be honest what could be considered as creatively challenged non-existence, then she will pull those who take the time with the album and give them a hell of show to listen to.
Annie has remained busy during that time and whilst it might not be the last album she releases with Giant Drag, as she has other projects that are keeping her sharply focused, but it wouldn’t be a surprise either if she went out a wonderful positive note.
The music, curious and peculiar at first, unravels at initial listen but soon grows in stature and the young woman who has put her life and her personality into this album soon shows through. Creatively it is intelligent, smile inducing but with moments riddled throughout where you can’t help but wonder what else has happened that she is not telling…yet. There is a sombre sadness that creeps through some of the songs and this has the effect of being harsh, even perhaps negative enough to realise this is a woman who has gone through so much but soon enough the listener comes through the other side and the beauty of life and loss is hard to shake off.
The clever We Like the Weather, Do It, Garbage Hearts and the playful Meowch are tracks that just ooze what the music should be taken as and keep the interest peaked for the whole album throughout.
A great album by Giant Drag and well worth getting hold of.
Waking Up Is Hard To Do is released on Tuesday 5th March from Full Psycho Records.
Ian D. Hall