Imperfectly

I once asked Rio about her favorite Ani album and I forget what she said but I was shocked it wasn't Not A Pretty Girl because to me, as an Ani noob, obviously that was the best album, what with having 32 Flavors and Not A Pretty Girl on it. Isn't there a kitten stuck up a tree somewhere?

Well Rio was right and as I grew up I started appreciating the depth of Ani's catalogue more and more and I find myself settling on Imperfectly.

Imperfectly, released 1992, was Ani's third album. I was introduced to Ani in 1996, so I came to it late. For a start it has my favorite song: Fixing Her Hair. I can't find it online to link, but your should go beg, borrow or steal because Fixing Her Hair is one of those immaculate songs. Gorgeous guitar, sublime lyrics. It speaks to a feminist experience on a visceral level and asks simply "what is this beautiful woman settling for?"

The album rocks out too. Here's the classic In or Out. I didn't really love In or Out at first, it's the kinda bi-pleaser stuff she moved passed on her later albums (i.e. post Little Plastic Castle). But in the end that's exactly what I grew to love about the song, and the album, it's such classic Ani, the kinda thing we all listened to her for in the first place.

Two more tracks to mention. I think Served Faithfully is beautiful and it reminds me of the great Belle and Sebastian track You Can Take You Carriage Clock and Shove It. Finally, the opening track What If No One's Watching is an exciting and uplifting aetheist anthem. And those don't come along everyday.

For all that, and a bunch of great tracks besides, Impectly is the Ani Album of the Year.