Annie DiRusso - “Coming Soon”

SXSW 2022 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 4

Pairs Well With…Soccer Mommy, Samia, Claud

With shades of 90s grunge pop and indie rock, Annie DiRusso can turn melancholy songwriting into full-blooded rock songs. A little hooky, a little dreamy, a little dense - DiRusso succeeds through balance across her consistently strong introductory singles. Releasing a couple tracks a year since 2018, the care put into each song is evident both through her personal, clever songwriting and fetching melodies both vocally and instrumentally. DiRusso’s tendency to go big in her choruses recall pop-punk hits as well - there’s a nice dichotomy of vulnerability and strength that plays out knowingly on songs like Beatle-staring “Judgements From The World’s Greatest Band” and most recent single “Coming Soon”. The latter is an anxious, early-20s song that is all too relatable, questioning oneself while putting a stake in the ground to not turn back regardless. It’s a sentiment that feels right heading into post-pandemic (fingers crossed) land and capturing moments is what Annie DiRusso does best, so here’s to more in the future from this promising, emerging artist. (Kevin McStravick)