Press
IM Magazine — April 11, 2005
Tongue and Groove 4/2/05
…Anaura gave an impressive performance, displaying just how much they’ve grown as a band in a short amount of time. Their most recent addition on guitar, Thad Baker, made their crowd-pleasing favorite ‘Worse For Drink’ even more entertaining, giving it a ‘Roadhouse Blues’ feel, in contrast to the classic rock/country sound that it’s enveloped in the past. ‘Intro’, a driving, reverb-enhanced instrumental, gave Alex Hillmer an opportunity to shine, as much as “Man In A Suit” showed off his continuing improvement as a front man and a vocalist. ‘Ghostwriter’, set to appear on their upcoming CD ‘If We Get Away With This’, provided a showcase for Josh Manion’s powerful drumming and Donald Meints’ talent on bass. - Daniela Cleveland
IM Magazine — January 25, 2005
Tongue and Groove 1/22/05
…Anaura was next, in good form and showing off their flair for instrumental breaks. On ‘The Lyricist’, vocalist Alex Hillmer and bassist Donald Meints provided great lead and background vocals, while Josh Manion provided tight drumming. ‘Worse For Drink’ was announced as ‘the drinking song’ to a responsive crowd, which included elements of both classic rock and country. ‘Everything Is Better Now’, referred to as an ‘oldie but goodie’, again showcased their strength in harmonies. Donald, as is his style, was a visual focal point, stomping in time to the music with energy and enthusiasm that was a pleasure to watch. - Daniela Cleveland
South of Mainstream — April 11, 2004
4 out of 5
If Anaura can keep up the energy demonstrated on their self-titled debut EP in their stage performances they must be a really awesome live band. They have a dynamic range of sounds all of which are instantly accessible and make you wanna get up and dance. The album opens with “Worse for Drink”, an upbeat tambourine shakin’, toe tappin’, blues number. In this song, as well as the others on the album, Anaura makes it clear that they are masters of happy indie-rock and have no qualms about putting in the standard bar-chorded chorus if it fits the song. That’s not to say that the music is by any means generic. Guitar parts are interesting and varied, some stuff is reminiscent of early REM and others punch it with Weezer-ish pop-punk muscles. The band’s strongest quality is their extreme tightness, and because of their coordination they’re able to make transitions instantly and effectively. The lyrics about girls and drinking are intimate and unsurprising. Lines like, “Your arms devour / my heart is blind / I will not cower / but you’re on your own this time / while I decide whether to live or die”, have become pretty common place with all the ‘emotional’ music being made lately, but the music’s joy more than makes up for any eye rolling that may result from such lines. Go figure. If I had one problem with this album it was with the lead singer. With the music being as lively as it is, I wish that he would occasionally kick it up a notch and put a little more force behind the vocal lines which have a tendency to flat-line. Other than that, the melodies are great and I love the occasional falsetto or bass harmony. Keep it up guys! - Reviewed by icecreamsocialist
Favorite Songs: Worse for Drink, Man In A Suit
Synthesis — February 23, 2004
“Although the name may definitely imply the dreaded ‘e’ word, Anaura are surprisingly liberated from the emotional chains choking many of their brethren, instead showing a refreshing variety of musical influences. “Worse for Drink,” with its tinny acoustic intro and bluesy modality, recalls the prog-pop of Canadians Big Wreck, while other tracks recall ’90s Brit-pop along the lines of Travis, without the accents of course. Overall, Anaura offers a break from the norm via a look back at the halcyon days of ’90s alternative. Check them out this Saturday at the Riff Raff.” - Daniel Taylor
