{"id":12308,"date":"2023-01-13T15:15:03","date_gmt":"2023-01-13T21:15:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/?p=12308"},"modified":"2023-01-28T16:54:16","modified_gmt":"2023-01-28T22:54:16","slug":"ep-review-annaxis-cbt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/2023\/01\/13\/ep-review-annaxis-cbt\/","title":{"rendered":"EP Review :: Annaxis :: CBT"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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by Jakob Sheppard<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TRIGGER WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS A DISCUSSION OF TOPICS INCLUDING ANOREXIA, MENTAL ILLNESS AND SELF HARM<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was fortunate enough to be able to ask Winnipeg\u2019s Annaxis about her brand-new EP: CBT<\/em> or \u201cCognitive Behavioural Therapy,\u201d in which she brings her unique brand of dark pop with indie influences like Kate Bush, and Mitski, making the listening experience sombre yet beautiful at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Each song paints this picture of suffering, perseverance and recovery through the worst times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had mental health issues since middle school, and I guess you could say CBT<\/em> is a reflection of that,\u201d she explained. \u201cI\u2019d do my best to channel those emotions and deal with them healthily. So, the songs just kind of ebbed and flowed with whatever I was feeling at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This carries perfectly into the opening track, \u201c24 hours\u201d which she told me she wrote in just grade 9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c[It\u2019s] about recovery from self-harm, and how it kind of gets stuck in your head and is incredibly difficult to move on from.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the theme, the instrumental is almost upbeat with \u201ctoo many synths for its own good, in the best of ways\u201d This song sounds perfect for a late-night drive in the city and sounds like a darker version of The Weeknd\u2019s 2020 smash hit: \u201cBlinding Lights.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next track, \u201cIn My Own Mind\u201d has a more upbeat energy. \u201cIt\u2019s about fighting my personal demons and believing in my ability to move on,\u201d she explained that her dad can be heard singing background vocals which adds to the theme of fellowship and recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI Don\u2019t Like Bathrooms\u201d is probably the darkest moment of the EP. \u201cAs a sufferer now recovered from an eating disorder, bathrooms have never been a safe place for me.\u201d This feeling echo\u2019s in the lyrics of the track; she sings about how bathrooms are \u201ctoo perfect\u201d and \u201ctoo clean\u201d and how she is too messy for them. This track was a powerful one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2018RIP\u2019 is different from other tracks,\u201d she told me. It isn\u2019t about death but rather a friendship that soured because of \u201cmental illness and its complications.\u201d It feels like a letter from an old friend, leaving all their feelings on the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The closing track, \u201cAna and the Teen\u201d is the melancholic point on the EP. On the surface, it sounds like a conversation between an adult authority figure and a younger person. But the true meaning is much blacker. \u201cIn a lot of internet communities, Ana is short for anorexia. The song is a conversation between me and my illness\u201d The song is about the singer having an internal battle with her condition. This is an excellent metaphor and makes the message come across very well. The instrumental on this track is much simpler than the others but works so well in connecting to the lyrics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was extremely impressed with this project, and l look forward to a full-length album from her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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