- One of the most well-regarded albums of 2016 was Hopelessness by ANOHNI, an album that juxtaposed difficult and bleak themes with exquisite musical arrangements and on-point production, which allowed Anohni’s unique vocal style to shine through the darkness of the world depicted in songs like Drone Bomb Me, Execution and Hopelessness. It seemed that this album, released at the start of 2016 gave the year its meaning early on, given the deeply challenging course the year took with the deaths of many well-loved artistes, defeats for progressive causes in various elections and the rise of an ugly political/social reality that has affected the world adversely.

Releasing an EP called Paradise might give one hope that, once again, Anohni is setting the tone for the year ahead. However, it’s not that simple. Comprising six new songs that were part of the live sets they have been performing in the last year, the listener is brought face to face with several of the activist causes Anohni has embraced, nowhere more visible in Australia than their work with the Martu people of Western Australia in their fight against the Cameco uranium mine. The final track on the EP is the stunning She Doesn’t Mourn Her Loss, which gently plays minimal instrumental accompaniment with Anohni’s tender, almost fragile voice and then finishes with a spoken word piece by First Nation’s artist Ngalangka Nola Taylor, “We are wondering what is happening to the world. Everything is change, changing/How are we going to stop and work on it and work together and make the world a better place to live for all of us?” The poignancy is breathtaking.

All the songs on the EP are co-written, played and produced by Ross Birchard and Daniel Lopatin, better known as Hudson Mohawke and Oneohtrix Point Never respectively. Continuing from where they left off with Hopelessness, the “rightness” (as it were) of their collaboration hasn’t faded. The listener is enveloped by the words, sounds, music and imagery these compositions create.

Political activism has had a long history with popular music and it can be overused, seeming to be as subtle as an iron bar to the head or even appear stale and boring with little more to be said than has been said – and little actually done to change the parlous state of society. Anohni does walk the talk though and the beauty of their vocal tone -which in equal measures floats, powers hard and feels brittle- is always exactly right for the lyric. The single Paradise requires all three and Anohni does not fail. Obama, the anthem for a disappointed and disillusioned generation on the previous album, has a companion here, the even more confronting Jesus Will Kill You. However, it takes the position of a polemic against the corruption and avarice of the world, “Your wealth is predicated/Upon the poverty of others/Others must be poor/If you're to be rich” and promising that the end they look for will come to pass in a way they may not actually expect.

Beyond that, there is the companion piece Ricochet which is all thumping drums, deep, powerful vocals directing every fibre of anger at that unfeeling, uncaring God, delivered with a force that I thought only Aretha Franklin could muster. You Are My Enemy is a steely blast at both Anohni’s own struggles to be accepted and to also accept them self as they truly are and how even the most aware activist can be mutually culpable for the dire direction the world is headed.

Paradise is a continuation of the political statements Anohni made last year and will add another level of “Someone must DO something”. It’s hoped that an open-minded listener who finds this rugged gem of activism, surrounded by exquisite framing, will become a “someone” to “do something” positive for change - for the good of all humanity.

- Blair Martin.