The Dawn of Ananda

Annie Haslam enters the new millennium as a new age priestess, or so it would seem from this anachronistic record. Drawing alternately from her prog rock roots in early Renaissance and contemporary new age music, Haslam makes a curious metamorphosis in her first new album in nearly five years. Kind of a spiritual concept album, The Dawn of Ananda does not feel like a throwback to the days of early Renaissance as much as a deliberate launch in a new direction, toward a much older audience than that of the pop heaven she created with Blessing in Disguise and Still Life. The record is not without its high points — "'Michael' Prince of Angels" is a beautiful and haunting tune, comparable to classic Haslam tracks. But for the most part, the album lacks a solid pop base — and Haslam's best work has always been rooted in pop/rock in some way. An interesting experiment, but — as a follow-up to Blessing in Disguise and Still Life — also a bit of a disappointment.