Christine Sweeney – Anywhere, Anyway – For Folk's Sake

by Jonathan Frahm • 11 April 2022 • Comments Off

Christine Sweeney’s Heart in a Hurry is a culmination of parts. Musical that would normally be perceived to clash despite their shared roots—R&B and folk—feel right at home on the album. It’s the New York singer-songwriter’s first LP since 2014. For those who have journeyed with her for nearly the last decade or longer, it’s a worthy payoff. The artist expertly navigates soul-fueled compositions, more often than not informed by her own personal, innately relatable experiences.

Take ‘Anywhere, Anyway’, for instance. The tune, which Sweeney shares with For Folk’s Sake today, reminds in equal parts of evergreen soul and singer-songwriter greats—contemporarily, a sort-of inroads between the likes of Yebba and John Mayer. The arrangement is classy and instantly classic, with vibing guitar tones and hearty percussion holding down the fort for Sweeney to gorgeously weave between with her effortless lilt. A storyteller’s emotion tells a story of heartbreak so palpably that intent listeners might feel moved themselves.

Sweeney tells us, “This song is about the feeling of being pulled under, no matter how hard you’re kicking. It’s like being stuck in a whirlpool that keeps on spinning and dragging you down. Foolishly, you thought that if you could only swim harder, you’d get to the calm, still water. This is about the moment you reflect that in a relationship where you’re both trying, but not at the same time, you’re not going anywhere.”

Words by: Jonathan Frahm