Speed The Plough
Songs With Anna
The story behind this unlikely collaboration between an Italian harpsichord master and the New Jersey indie rock collective Speed the Plough is as moving as the music is mesmerizing. It all began when John Baumgartner got a Facebook message from Anna Clemente, asking if he’d written “A Plan Revisited” by The Trypes. Anna requested the lyrics to the song, which had appeared on the obscure compilation album Luxury Condos Are Coming To Your Neighborhood. It turns out that Anna’s late husband, luthier John Weissenrieder brought the album with him when he moved to Italy.
“A Plan Revisited” became “their song.”
John and Anna traded messages and became friends. As often happens when musicians hang out, the idea of doing some music together eventually came up, and files began being swapped between New Jersey and Italy. Anna is professor of harpsichord at the Music Conservatory of Florence. The resulting EP is a haunting chamber pop masterpiece.
Anna’s harpsichord blends with Tom Baumgartner’s flute to give the songs a fairytale feel. Brenda Sauter’s voice floats over and through the gossamer arrangements. “A Saint Restored” and Written Each Day” are new arrangements of Speed the Plough songs. “Poison Dart” is a new song that deals with loss and remembrance. “Keep me in your heart / Don’t make me ask again / Tore my world apart right from the very start,” makes me think of Anna’s late husband.
Of course, they do a new arrangement of The Trypes’ song that started it all, “A Plan Revisited.”
