EP Review: Pīwakawaka

There’s a certain type of solo singer songwriter performance that we are all familiar with. Mid-tempo, sparse instrumentation (usually just an acoustic guitar), no strumming (finger picking only), a solo voice with the performer probably sitting on a high stool. Topics are addressed directly – usually heartbreak, pain, loss, death and other difficulties. But here’s the notable part: despite the themes of the songs, the delivery is usually done so damn nicely that it all seems rather life-affirming and uplifting rather than cause for deeper misery. This is why these acts open for bigger bands and bring initially sceptical audiences around to their charms by the end, to have us all whooping and watery-eyed (Shannon Lay, the quirky Californian, did exactly this when she opened for Sharon van Etten here last year, as did Buddy, the LA solo act who opened for Gomez’s Ian Ball and Ben Ottewell here recently).

This is the essence of Boaz Anema’s EP, Pīwakawaka. Five original tracks dealing with wandering around in forests listening to birds, longing for beautiful but lost girlfriends, taking winding roads and contemplating the passage of time. A solo guitar and voice collection on life’s woes, packaged and delivered to uplift us.

Anema is best known as the frontman of Dunedin rock act BO and the Constrictors, and here, we have his first foray into solo work. It’s a coherent and well-produced collection; just Anema singing with his guitar. At first and second listen, it sounds like that unobtrusive support act meant to prepare us for the act we really came to hear – until we realise we’ve forgotten about whatever that other act was, and are now listening to this on repeat. I found myself rolling through this EP over and over, as it became a pleasant soundtrack to a day at home. But it’s not without definition; the final track, The Road, stands out as a rousing emotional peak, where Anema’s voice is full of soul and authenticity and universal appeal.

I am hoping to see these songs performed live, and to hear more solo work from Boaz Anema. This collection, Pīwakawaka, succeeds on its own terms as well as whetting our appetite for more.