Anniemal

1	Intro 0:54
2	Chewing Gum 3:56
3	Always Too Late 4:16
4	Me Plus One 3:39
5	Heartbeat 3:06
6	Helpless Fool for Love 3:58
7	Anniemal 3:35
8	No Easy Love 4:02
9	Happy Without You 3:16
10	The Greatest Hit 3:42
11	Come Together 7:51
12	My Best Friend 3:56

Barnes & Noble

Despite being embraced by too-cool hipsters, Norway's Annie has more in common with Kylie Minogue -- or early Madonna -- than with Björk. Like those two pop icons, what Annie lacks in vocal capabilities she more than makes up for with oodles of style, charm, and wit, plus impeccable taste in collaborators. Her debut, Anniemal is a guilt-free delight that sounds like an instant greatest-hits collection. For that matter it's got "The Greatest Hit," her irresistible 1999 single bow produced by her then-boyfriend Erot, whose death at 23 shortly afterward nearly sidelined Annie's career. She eventually got herself back on track, enlisting fellow Norwegians Röyksopp to produce the bulk of Anniemal, and their clever, bubbly electronic style is a perfect fit -- from the rolling timpani of "Always Too Late" to the slinky bass and percolating rhythms of the title track. Mashup maestro Richard X works his magic on "Chewing Gum" and "Me Plus One," which, respectively, owe more than a little to the Tom Tom Club and Bananarama. The clear standout, however, is the ebullient "Heartbeat," a near-perfect slice of danceable pop whose only fault is that it doesn't go on a minute longer. As for her voice, the singer embraces her limited range with a half-whispered coo that works perfectly on these tracks. The world has more than enough divas, and thankfully, Annie seems more than happy being just who she is. Bill Pearis

All Music Guide

In 1999, Annie and her boyfriend/producer, Erot, made a slippery-sexy single called "The Greatest Hit." Though it came out of Norway, it sounded more than a little American, sampling Madonna's "Everybody" while also echoing the nonchalant ecstasy of Patrice Rushen's "Forget Me Nots." It didn't take off, at least not in the traditional sense. It floated around the underground, saw release on labels in different territories, and eventually became a pseudo-secret smash. Within a couple years, dancers and DJs in a few countries began to wonder what became of Annie. Erot's life was claimed by a heart defect in 2001; his partner, quite understandably, went quiet for a while. She picked herself up, took a very active role in the Bergen, Norway, music community, and recorded Anniemal with production help from Richard X, Röyksopp, and Op:L Bastards' Timo Kaukolampi. "The Greatest Hit," thankfully reprised here, is indicative of the album as a whole, bursting with sparkling melodies (often spiked with just a hint of melancholy) over mostly danceable rhythms that are either wholly modern or mischievously referential to early-'80s club hits (Tom Tom Club, the Human League, Arthur Russell's Dinosaur L). Annie's voice might be a little thin, but that's no real factor when it's so sweet and likable. The topics -- teasing, aching, longing -- aren't unfamiliar, yet they're often dealt with in a clever manner. Take "Chewing Gum," in which a dumped boy gets sort of objectified and verbally slain at the same time ("You think you're chocolate when you're chewing gum"), or "The Greatest Hit," containing the most foolproof come-on you could ever give a record geek ("C'mon, baby, you're my greatest hit"). As cunning as it is, Anniemal is also deeply affecting. "Heartbeat" is the least resistible of all, glowing with anticipatory pulses, tremulous sighs, and quivering electric piano vamps. Andy Kellman

Rolling Stone

1/2 Sounding mainstream but thinking indie, Anniemal comes packed with both instant surface fizz and quirky finesse that sustains repeated listenings.... Goodbye, Britney. Hello, Annie. Barry Walters