Annie Achron - Never Paradise

Annie Achron - Never Paradise Siltbreeze, 2025 First time vinyl appearance for Nicole Siering's Annie Achron project following the 2021 debut cassette, Silver-Handed Subterranea, released by the very local - and seemingly now defunct - Philadelphia label, Silvox. Such is the case, this is most likely your first introduction to the Annie Achron universe and be assured it's a memorable one. Never Paradise flirts very convincingly with the kind of first wave synthpop that made legends (sooner or later) of Anna Domino, Chris & Cosey, Deux, Coldeyes, Nine Circles et al, providing evidence yet again of the universal, ever-enduring appeal of the holy trinity synth-drum machine-coquettish vocal configuration. You've heard these sounds before, and you'll stand in line for them many times over again, and so convincing is Siering's understanding of aesthetics, were Veronica Vascika to slap an 1983 time stamp on it and label it 'lost until now' you'd likely be none the wiser. Still, this is happening here and now, and there's much contemporary context for it, too - indeed, there's a little crossover with Molly Nilsson's sing-song melodicism (herself a torchbearer for the coldwave greats), and the insistent cool of something like 'Out of the Myst' is comparable to a more stripped back Boy Harsher. In an attempt to sell the dream of Never Paradise, Siltbreeze tell us that, if nothing else, 'time is infinite'. That maybe so, but ours (and yours) isn't. Take your chances while you can. 

FFO: Molly Nilsson, Anna Domino, Chris & Cosey, Coldeyes, Deux