Anneke van Giersbergen – Drive
InsideOut Music
http://www.insideoutmusic.com/artist.aspx?IdArtist=680

Rating: B

Anneke van Giersbergen may not be a household name in the USA, but for Prog Fans she is well known from her time as the front woman of the band The Gathering.  Her new album, titled Drive sees the talented singer and musician opening up, lyrically, and delivering a most friendly style of Pop/Prog to her fans. 

Hmm, Pop and Prog just don’t go together…this stuff is hard to pigeonhole…Anneke somehow pulls it off.  Okay, not Pop, as in Top 40 mind-numbing music made for idiots…that’s not what she is about.  Her music is smart and accessible…that is a much better word for it…she is talented, progressive, yet accessible.  

Anneke makes Proggy Rock that can be listened to by anyone. You don’t have to work in an IT Department or be a trained musician to enjoy her music.  This is Prog for the common man and woman…its still tricky and talented music, yet it is pleasing to the ear.

Okay, I have probably butchered this review by now…but she is a hard artist to describe with words.  Hell, I don’t have to describe it…check this out:

This is the standout track on this sucker, yet the entire album is just as good.  The music is fresh.  She rocks when she wants and she can show a softer side as well.

Anneke says this bout “The Best is Yet to Come,” “The Best Is Yet To Come” is one of my mottos in life. I don't like looking back at all. The song is written with a dear friend in mind who had become some sort of passenger in life. The song was meant to wake him up and convince him that life's for the living.” Another standout tune is “We Live On” which you can also hear for yourself at http://bit.ly/weliveon .

At the end of the day, it is refreshing to hear such unique music coming out of such a unique lady.  She, despite being in the music biz all these years, seems to have remained non-jaded and is content…even happy to be making music on her own terms.  She looks as unique as she sounds.

While this one sits somewhere in the realm of Pat Benetar Prog—if there is such a thing…oh there I go again.  Part Benatar, part 90125 Yes, a tad of rockier styled Missing Persons… hell I don’t know what she is…she’s all of that and more and none of that and then some.  I give up!  I'm done. 

Suffice it to say that while her music may be hard to describe, it’s pretty darn cool and worth checking out.

By Jeb Wright