You & i are Earth is a love letter come to life through visual imagery and complex storytelling. This isn’t a new form for Anna B Savage, but it is a vulnerable new leaf turned, showcasing her continued ability to write about raw emotions. The running themes in You & i are Earth surround love, belonging, and contentment. The songs about her lover and newly adopted homeland display Savage’s masterful lyricism and continued growth as an artist.
The album really conveys a found inner peace for Savage. In her previous records, we were given many love songs of uncertainty and lust (at times risqué), but the sentimentality and tenderness has stayed constant. Atmospheric, experimental sounds found on In|flux have transformed into fully formed, layered orchestral tracks in You & i are Earth (produced by John “Spud” Murphy). Songs of reflecting on past relationships and insecurity about love and the self, as described in both In|flux and A Common Turn, are replaced by ballads of appreciation, moments in time, and sureness. Savage’s vocals, which have always been the centerpiece, somehow have found a way to weave themselves into the music, creating a full fusion. This is much like the imagery on the cover of the album, and the overarching themes throughout it.
The songs about her Irish lover (the importance of mentioning their Irish descent is described in “Mo Cheol Thú”) relate the happiness of Savage’s state of mind. “Talk to Me” kicks off You & i are Earth, immediately setting the tone for an album of infatuation while also acknowledging that it is a bit of a healing journey. This song seamlessly leads into the next track “Lighthouse” which builds on the theme of healing and love – having someone to view as a stronghold or constant. “Donegal” builds on the seaside theme, describing the act of falling in love like diving into the ocean, accepting the turmoil of the sea while trusting you will be taken care of. “Big & Wild” feels like a moment of clarity and acceptance. It’s a shorter song, but Savage says everything she needs to say in it.
There’s a deeper ancestral connection Savage makes with her love, as she acknowledges how her people (Britain) colonized the north of Ireland. This has made the native tongue less commonly spoken among those from that part of the country. In “Mo Cheol Thú” Savage describes the beauty of and her appreciation for the Irish language; “You say, there’s no direct way to translate to English ‘I love you,’ just ‘Mo Cheol Thú’.” Which is true, “I love you” translates to something along the lines of (the hook of the song) “you are my music.”
The atmospheric, 56-second track “Incertus” is a meditative, under-appreciated lead-in to “I Reach for You in My Sleep” – another moment of realization, completely being overtaken by love. “Agnes” is a more upbeat track, giving us a break from the overwhelming sweetness of the love songs. This song (featuring Anna Mieke) is about Ireland; having a genuine desire to make a personal connection to the land and ultimately appreciating its magic.
The closing two tracks “You & i are Earth” and “The Rest of Our Lives” brings us back to her love, the leading topic of the album. The final songs build more on the imagery of the natural world and an optimistic outlook for the future. It makes for a clean conclusion for the album, as we were chronologically introduced to her being in love, being in a new country, accepting the country and seeing this as part of her lover, and then looking forward from there.
Anna B Savage has continued to let walls down and create art that comes from a place of honesty. You & i are Earth is a fully realized project that has the rare attribute of feeling timeless while also emitting a very much present moment for Savage. No one could have written this album but her. There isn’t too much metaphor or between-the-lines listening needed for You & i are Earth – it’s a diary entry of sorts, a window into an adorned, articulated sentiment.
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