Anna Of The North - Dream Girl (LP) - Blue Vinyl

Anna of the North’s second album, Dream Girl, arrived on October 25, 2019, and it still feels like that moment when day slips into night and the city lights start blinking on. Anna Lotterud has a way with synth-pop that’s both featherlight and sturdy, like a neon sign that keeps glowing long after last call. If her debut, Lovers, was the sound of heartbreak under Northern skies, Dream Girl leans into recovery and self-possession, the grin that sneaks in after the tears stop. It’s sleek, unabashedly melodic, and unafraid of sugar. The trick is how she keeps the sweetness from cloying. There’s space in these songs, a patient Scandinavian calm, and an attention to detail that rewards repeat listens.

The title track is the album’s calling card. “Dream Girl” bounces on a rubbery bass line and clean treble synths that flicker like fairy lights, while Anna’s vocal floats above with just enough air to feel intimate. It’s pop built for late-night walks, earbuds tucked and coat zipped, letting your feet decide the route. The hook is sticky, the production glassy, yet there’s a note of melancholy shadowing the shine. That push and pull animates the record.

“Leaning On Myself” was a smart lead single choice. It’s a quiet anthem, a shrug-into-strength moment that doesn’t need to shout to get across. The drums land with a soft thud, the keys shimmer, and Anna lets her phrasing stretch until it feels like she’s talking to you from across a kitchen table. If you followed her earlier rise, including that standout guest vocal on Tyler, the Creator’s “Boredom” in 2017, it’s striking how confident she sounds here. The voice is the same, all breath and warmth, but the stance has changed. She’s not reaching for someone else to complete the picture.

“Playing Games” taps the nervous energy of modern dating without getting moralistic. It’s the most neon-lit cut on the album, prime for a midnight drive with the window cracked just enough to let the chorus spill out. “Thank Me Later” follows with a softer glow, all gentle synth pads and subtle guitar that coils around the melody. Both songs get at one of Anna’s quiet strengths: she writes choruses that hum at conversation volume. You find yourself singing along before you realize you’ve memorized them.

“Used To Be” brings the nostalgia. The tempo sits in that perfect cruising pace, and the chord changes hit with the comforting inevitability of a favorite sweater. The production across Dream Girl favors clarity over bombast, which suits her voice. There are no tricks needed. The beats are tidy, the bass warm, the keyboards light enough to breathe. When harmonies stack, they feel like a friend slipping into the frame rather than a special effect.

Even the sequencing makes sense. The record never drags, but it also never sprints. It has the measured confidence of a second album by an artist who knows what she does well and trims around it. Critics at the time picked up on this balance, calling out the blend of vulnerability and glossy Scandinavian pop craft, and they weren’t wrong. Dream Girl doesn’t aim to reinvent the wheel. It just makes sure the tires are perfectly inflated and the road is smooth.

This is also a record that shines on wax. The low-end warmth and airy top end beg for a physical spin, which is reason enough to keep an eye out for Dream Girl vinyl. If you’re building a shelf of Anna Of The North vinyl, this one earns prime placement next to Lovers. The playback suits quiet mornings, but it also glows at night with the lights low, when those synths stretch and the vocals feel close. If you like to buy Anna Of The North records online, make sure you grab a clean pressing and, if possible, a copy with a sturdy sleeve. Her artwork has that soft-focus aesthetic that looks lovely in hand. And if you prefer to browse in person, there’s a special joy in spotting it tucked among Anna Of The North albums on vinyl at your local shop. Maybe you’ll find it while flipping through a bin at a Melbourne record store on a rainy afternoon, or while hunting for vinyl records Australia sellers have stashed on the back wall. Either way, it’s worth the search.

Dream Girl is pop with a steady pulse and a human touch. It rewards attention, but it also lets you sink in without overthinking. Anna has a knack for melodies that feel fresh and familiar at once, and this album bottles that charm from start to finish. Put it on, let the room soften, and see if you don’t feel a little lighter by the time the needle lifts.