Anya Anastasia’s debut EP ‘Dissenter’ has a myriad of well thought out and poetic ideas, with thought provoking lyrics that reward repeated deep listens.

Opening track ‘Losing Wild’ entertains the idea of a world without animals, devoid of nature and therefore devoid of beauty and inspiration. A bluesy melody floats over a stomping banjo beat for the verses before moving into a more ethereal and keyboard driven chorus. It’s a pretty song but at the same time the atmosphere is foreboding – climate change is a real threat.

‘Smog & Mirrors’ features a cyclic over-driven guitar riff in an odd time signature that puts the listener off balance. The music recalls Tom Waits’ junkyard blues though the vocals don’t – they’re melodic with multi-tracked harmonies and African inspired wordless refrains. Lyrically the song seems to be about the nature of greed, how consumerism is self-perpetuating but, in the end, leads us nowhere.

‘Spinning Heads’ is a keyboard driven piece about the disorientation brought on by the pace and unrealistic expectations of modern life. In one repeated section slightly off kilter harmonies running over an unusual chord progression reiterate this disorientation. A strong chorus driven by jittery drums brings the song to peak intensity.

‘Dissenter’ is a folk song – the minimalist percussion used throughout accentuates the message of the chorus – if change is to be affected it’s up to us to act, old systems are failing now, the status quo will get us nowhere.

Final track ‘Goes Untold’ is a gentle but moving piece that explores the relationship between Australia’s First Nations people and country. Anya Anastasia’s vocals are powerful, a nuanced performance with lyrics that evoke the depth of this ancient connection to land and nature.

Much effort has gone into writing and arranging these five songs. It’s paid off. ‘Dissenter’ doesn’t feel like a debut release. The excellent musicianship of Anya Anastasia and her band have combined with crisp and detailed production (credit shared with Kiah Gossner) to produce a record that delivers strong and important messages that should resonate with many.