Growing up in The Woodlands, Texas, Anacarina Acuna (or just Anacarina) escapes into the landscapes of her songs as way of working out the details of her own experiences and emotions. Often tangled and knotty, they provide a glimpse into the inner mechanisms of her pop-centric singer-songwriter aesthetic. But even from an early age, she felt a connection to music that she couldn’t fully deconstruct, digging into records from Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman that influenced the way she perceived music’s innate malleability. Alongside her sister Lorelei, she created short comical videos on YouTube, which developed a desire to become both a singer and an actress.
She began guitar lessons when she was 13 and subsequently formed a band to perform her songs. Kicking around local coffee shops and cafes, Anacarina developed an intensely personal relationship with her own creativity, allowing it to evolve and blossom, often working on 7 or 8 songs simultaneously. She began the process of recording her debut record Soot Covered Soul in 2015 at the age of 17 and followed that up with a handful of singles and videos. Her forthcoming EP One of Your Forevers (due out May 19) was recorded in Nashville and finds her embracing an affecting pop shimmer, one that highlights her glistening voice and meticulous arrangements.
Opener “Grave” is a beautifully wrought piano pop wonder that tugs on your heartstrings without resorting to blatant sentimentality while “Numb” is brighter and bolder in its pop direction, anchored by subtly driving melodies and darkly persuasive rhythms. The EP maps out a compelling coming of age story that explores the different facets of love and how these odd angled affections really don’t have a clear beginning and end – they simple revolve around us as we make our way through the world, interjecting themselves on occasion to devastating effect.
The title track ambles along accompanied by gossamer piano lines and unassuming percussion that underscores the dramatic emotions roiling inside her vocals. Draped in an acoustic density and surrounded by stringed backgrounds, “Fight” is a call to arms for all those who struggle just to get by, for those people who sometimes need a shoulder to lean on. “Bluebird, Baby” concludes the EP in remarkable fashion, riven by gentle strums, a gentle melodic persuasion, and Anacarina’s inimitable determination.
“The title One of Your Forevers is referring to how in life, each relationship, or phase, is like its own little forever,” Anacarina explains. “There is no end or beginning, or linear time as most believe it to be. It all echoes throughout eternity.”
Follow Anacarina on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. One of Your Forevers is due out May 29.
