With its very first notes, Black and Blue transports you to a dark bar where the walls are raw brick and the cigarette smoke hangs in waves suspended in the air. Singer-songwriter Annie Fitzgerald has a voice that’s intoxicating like a good bottle of wine, and it pairs well with the rom-rock vibe of the song. Even though this is only her second album, she comes into it backed by the Songwriters Hall of Fame as an artist to watch out for.
At its core, the song has a simple composition. It uses the electric guitar, the bass guitar and drums in a solid combination that promises you a good time, and delivers. The bass links the play of the drums and the grungy electric guitar with a liquid warmth that is also reminiscent of a quality found in Fitzgerald’s voice. Together, they compel you to bob your head along with the groove they create, especially when they rise up in a crescendo for the chorus.
What gives the song its edge is undoubtedly Fitzgerald’s vocals. Her voice is strong. The song demands that she dip in and out of several high and low notes, and she does it with flair. In fact, you might hear Portishead’s Beth Gibbons lurking in the vocals somewhere, but despite that she isn’t all quite there because Fitzgerald never descends into mimicry. Her voice has an individuality that’s unmistakable.
This song is from the album You & Me & The Sun, and perhaps both the song and the album are aptly titled as they are the after-products of a spell of post-partum depression. Black and Blue is definitely one for the playlist, for one of those evenings when the lights are dim and the wine is strong.
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