After two decades of characterful involvement with the New Zealand music scene, Anna Coddington's fourth album, Beams is a breakthrough. William Dart investigates just where it comes from.
Anna Coddington Photo: © nickpaulsen, from artist's label website loop.co.nz
'The Saint (with stains)' is the opening track and first single from Anna Coddington’s new album Beams. It's a song of the joys and responsibilities of motherhood, a song of experience laced with a gentle but wry sense of humour.
The song takes William back to the late 90s when, as a teenager, Coddington made her first breakthrough. Back then she was a student at Hamilton Girls High and her band Handsome Geoffrey won the Smokefree Secondary School Rockquest — three young women who lost no time at all in being picked up by New Zealand on Air promo machine.
And from there he traces a personal trail through her career, culminating with Beams.
There's a new incisiveness in her songwriting here, he says, and the album has benefited from fresh blood in its musical mix, with the production nous and collaboration of Steph Brown and Fen Ikner, better known as the duo LIPS.
Music Details
'Song title' (Composer) – Performers
Album title
(Label)
'The Saint (With Stains)' (Coddington) – Anna Coddington
Beams
(Loop)
'I Sort Of Love You' (Coddington et al) – Handsome Geoffrey
NZoA Indie Hit Disc 10
(NZoA)
'Raglan City' (Coddington et al) – Duchess
Duchess EP
(Teaset)
'Excuse Me' (Coddington) – Anna Coddington
The Lake
(Teaset)
'TShirt' (Coddington) – Anna Coddington
The Lake
(Teaset)
'Bolt' (Coddington) – Anna Coddington
Cat & Bird
(Teaset)
'Cat & Bird' (Coddington) – Anna Coddington
Cat & Bird
(Teaset)
'Bird In Hand' (Coddington) – Anna Coddington
Kiwi Hit Disc 160
(NZoA)
'Falling Fast' (Coddington) – Anna Coddington
Luck/Time
(Teaset)
'Without a Fight' (Coddington) – Anna Coddington
Luck/Time
(Teaset)
'Night Class' (Coddington) – Anna Coddington
Beams
(Loop)
'Both Ways' (Coddington) – Anna Coddington
Beams
(Loop)
'Dive' (Coddington) – Anna Coddington
Beams
(Loop)
'Magnesium & Coffee' (Coddington) – Anna Coddington
Beams
(Loop)
