Walk the Walk - Poe

Poe's first album, Hello, was one of the first CDs I purchased when I finally joined the technological age in the mid-90s. I was enamoured of her frank lyrics and voice that could do sing-song, rap-like vocals and beautiful serenades. "Angry Johnny" was all over the airwaves and occasionally "Trigger Happy Jack." Despite the brief popularity, I thought of her as one of my "found" artists.

It was a five year wait for her second album, Haunted. I'd mostly given up on there ever being more, actually, until I saw a short review for it in, of all places, Maxim. I quickly sought out the album and rekindled my love for Miss Ann Danielewski.

Haunted is a thematic album, released to coincide with her brother Mark's convoluted horror novel, House of Leaves. Elements of that story fuel the album, but it's also an ode to their father, a film director who left recorded tapes to his children throughout their lives. His voice "haunts" the album as it progresses and as Poe explores her own growth into adulthood.

"Walk the Walk" was the catchy first single, probably the most accessible tune on the album before a remixed version of "Hey Pretty" was released featuring spoken passages from Mark's book.

I'd lay odds that this would be one of the top five albums I've listened to over and over again. Though individual tracks are amazing, the album is best experienced in one sitting. It has now been seven years since it was released and though her fans remain strong, a third offering would still seem to be some time coming, if at all.

16/365