The night before ANOHNI and the Johnsons set up shop behind the Tiny Desk, they gave a soul-searching performance at the Lincoln Theatre in Washington, D.C. A couple who sat in front of us, who drove in from Ohio, said they played one of ANOHNI's songs at their wedding. Such is the devotion to the immaculately built, singularly sung and emotionally potent music ANOHNI has made throughout her nearly 30-year career.
The same passionate intellect from the live show pours over into this psychologically fissile set of three breathtaking compositions.
Let's be real: ANOHNI's songs ask tough questions. "Why Am I Alive Now?" is ostensibly a lament for the environment, and ends with the line, "All our memories are sinking into un-living," as the band ramps up its heavenly groove, built around propulsive drumming, cascading piano and a plaintive clarinet.
And yet, a song like "Hopelessness," which follows, somehow does not seem entirely pessimistic, thanks to its diaphanous arrangement, which builds to a climax that could be either euphoric, cathartic or both. It's telling us to look at ourselves ("How did I become a virus?").
The soul-flavored "It Must Change" similarly builds, but this time to a purifying truth-to-power oratory that might leave you trembling amid its intoxicating shuffle. The musicianship, a true chamber music integration, is nothing short of sublime.
ANOHNI is a provocative artist — much needed today — who forces us to think where we stand, as individuals, in an ever-churning, chaotic world. Her music, and that distinctive, straight-to-the-heart delivery, invites us to confront our feelings and find a way to own them — and perhaps even to move through them, rendering us even more alive.
SET LIST
- "Why Am I Alive Now?"
- "Hopelessness"
- "It Must Change"
MUSICIANS
- ANOHNI: vocals
- Gael Rakotondrabe: piano, background vocals
- Jimmy Hogarth: guitar
- Leo Abrahams: guitar, guitaret
- Sam Dixon: bass
- Doug Wieselman: saxophone, clarinet, bongos
- Christopher Vatalaro: drums, background vocals
TINY DESK TEAM
- Producer: Tom Huizenga
- Director/Editor: Maia Stern
- Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
- Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
- Videographers: Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame
- Audio Engineer: Hannah Gluvna
- Production Assistant: Dora Levite
- Photographer: Elizabeth Gillis
- Tiny Desk Team: Lars Gotrich, Ashley Pointer
- Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
- Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
- VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
Copyright 2025 NPR
