Hello Reader,
Welcome back.
Today we’re going to delve into Anika. This is the moniker of British-born, Berlin-based musician, writer, composer, DJ, photographer, radio host, video-director and former journalist Annika Henderson. Before Henderson’s musical career, she worked as a political journalist and UK correspondent for ESNA European Higher Education News in Berlin and as a music promoter in Cardiff, Wales. In addition to her solo music, Henderson is a founding member of the Mexico City-based group Exploded View with musician/producers, Martin Thulin, Hugo Quezada and Amon Melgarejo. The band released two albums and EP within the 2016-2018 timeframe. Henderson is known for weaving the styles of dub, post-punk, and psychedelic, with dnb and strong vocals in the forefront of songs. Which makes a lot of sense as several of her listed influences include but are not limited to, Patti Smith, Toni Morrison and Genesis P-Orridge.
Her first solo album was via studio release, the self-titled Anika (2010), which was recorded with Bristol, UK band Beak. The debut was followed by Anika EP in 2013 and her second full-length album Change in 2021. Her first live album was the 2023 release, Eat Liquid, which is often described as “a visceral and urgent 10-track journey fueled by intense emotions.” All of these works have garnered positive critical acclaim.
And now her third solo album, Abyss is out via Sacred Bones Records on Friday, April 4th, for your listening pleasure. Within the album’s press release, Henderson states, “There’s so much going on in the world, and you have to sit there and watch it through a screen that you’ve allowed into your home, like a vampire who had been preying at your door, then immediately digest it, have an opinion, and publicly comment on it. The state of the world just feels like an abyss right now. Abyss is like a call to action, to come and figure it out together.”
Also within the album’s press release, while speaking on the state of things in the world, and hopes from the album, Henderson said, “I feel like everyone’s holding their breath about these things that are going on in the world, and a lot of the frustration comes from your brain being overly engaged and your body being unable to release it. That’s what live shows and music are for. I wanted to make an album that would be fun to play live, to bring people back into reality. Hopefully this album and the live show can give people a release – to be able to let go.”
She continues, “These days it feels like you have to have very catered opinions – like language has gone out the window. It makes you feel very much like a restricted child again. It’s like I’m doing all the things that I never allowed myself to do. It feels like the left are heavily scrutinized and therefore forced to micromanage their media personality, like editing their biography so they don’t insult anyone, trying to please everyone – which leads to an impression of inconsistency, of untrustworthiness. But the contrast is that a lot of people on the right are getting away with everything, like flaunting their imperfections and rejoicing in the fact that they have felonies. They are consistent with their hate speech and therefore perceived as more trustworthy. I think it’s important to have space on the left for imperfection, for healthy debate and difference, and for all the complexities of being a human.”
Giving credit where it’s due. Abyss album credits:
- Annika Henderson: songwriter, lead vocals on all songs
- Martin Thulin: songwriter, guitar, backing vocals on “Last Song”
- Tomas Nochteff: bass guitar
- Lawrence Goodman: guitar
- Andrea Belfi: drums
Hype via Anika’s YouTube channel, the first song off the album and the movement-heavy video for the song, “Hearsay”:
(All credits and rights to Anika)
Look for the Brutalist architecture within the video for the song, “Walk Away”:
(All credits and rights to Anika)
Strobe lights ahead, in the video for the powerful song, “Oxygen”:
(All credits and rights to Anika)
Overall, Abyss represents another great collection of songs and artistry from Henderson. There’s a nice variety of melodies and outstanding musicianship from Thulin, Nochteff, Goodwin, and Belfi throughout the album. The song composition is superb, incorporating some heavy themes within layered melodies and vocals. Kudos to Henderson and Thulin on their songwriting. Henderson’s vocals, which have become a staple of her artistry, are again heard at the front of the sound. She delivers once again. Her lyrics explore with frustration and angst in respect to the state of modern times. Yet when you’re listening, you’re not forlorn? One could read and analyze her lyrics for hours. I hope you do, listener, as there’s a lot to unpack. This album is a magnificent example of artistic expression and what art is created for.
“Hearsay” kicks off the album with thumping drums, which are part of a lively melody that feels like a beautiful stroll through the past. I can’t put my finger on where I’ve been transported to. Listener, what does it remind you of? The next song, “Abyss,” begins with amplified guitar and a great bass groove that travels back and forth wonderfully. All atop of Henderson’s resolute vocals. “Honey” is a thrashing post-punk good time. The following song, “Walk Away,” is a contrast in a lighter volume melody. The song composition allows Henderson’s vocals to shine and stick with you even more.
The vocals on “Into The Fire” are delivered in more spoken-word format than on any of the other songs on this album. The guitar work is excellent, led by a deceptively simple-sounding melody. This is followed by arguably my favorite song on the album, “Oxygen,” and the refrain really hammers the point home. Great melody in general, with the musicianship and vocals truly standing out.
“Out Of The Shadows” begins with discordant noise, followed by propulsive drum beats and matching-paced guitars atop some unforgettable earworm of a refrain. The guitars get a bit funkier on the song, “One Way Ticket,” in the best ways. The drums again are rock solid and follow suit to create an infectious melody and lyrics that call out mistakes of the past and, in turn, present.
The next song, “Last Song,” amplifies the angst in the vocal delivery. The call to action and the immediacy of action are felt while listening. The final song on the album is “Buttercups,” and the lyrics examine memories of seemingly better times—not perfect times, but more positive memories from the past. The overall mood from the melody is a bit softer than the rest of the album, but it is not a departure from what was crafted and presented to your ears earlier.
Abyss gets 4 out of 5 Scum Drops from me, more specifically in the lower part of that range, which would be the 72nd-75th percentile relative to all 2025 albums. It’s a good album with a lot for listeners to love. I think this release fits solidly within her discography. What do you think? Some may end up liking this album more than Anika or Change. There is no wrong answer. Add this to your collection.
Abyss Track listing (song length)
- Hearsay (4:19)
- Abyss (3:48)
- Honey (3:21)
- Walk Away (4:23)
- Into The Fire (3:48)
- Oxygen (3:19)
- Out Of The Shadows (3:13)
- One Way Ticket (3:38)
- Last Song (2:47)
- Buttercups (3:21)
Total runtime: 35:57
I’ll always advocate that you take the time to listen to every album in its entirety. From start to finish, the listening process with Abyss will take just over half an hour, just over an hour if you listen twice back to back. Along the way, you’ll discover your own favorite songs without the influence or bias of others. After a few listens on my own, I found the songs highlighted in green font above to be my favorite songs on this album.
To find out more about the tour and more, visit Anika’s site here. Check out her Linktree and follow her Instagram and Facebook pages. To listen more music, visit her YouTube channel, and for more music and merch, visit her Bandcamp page.
Thank you for reading and supporting good music.
Until next time,
Alex
Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site: scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions!
Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com
