"Even her most straightforward lyrics possess a fantastic, almost subliminal quality that brings to mind the magic-realist fiction of Gabriel Garcia Marquez." - Acoustic Guitar "She's erotic in the noblest sense of the word and her lyrical genius is spellbinding." -Sing Out! Annie Gallup's 8th release marries her spoken and sung song-poems to exquisitely beautiful and sensitive classically based string quartet arrangements created by Asia Mei. This surprising juxtaposition of genres invites us to hear both songs and quartet in new ways. Gallup weaves an intimate level of detail into the larger canvas of history, telling stories that move from the unforgettable summer of 1968 to a very personal perspective on the events of 9/11 in New York City. Annie says Weather is "about faith, the deep steady core at the center of turbulence, incremental progress toward an unknowable end." Weather represents a leap of faith for both Annie, who laid her guitar aside, and for Asia Mei, a musician accomplished in several genres who had never done a strings only project. Russian born, Israeli raised (in Jerusalem), Berklee educated, living in Harlem, Asia's own music is keyboard based alt rock. http://www.asiamei.com Annie writes: "I want to get away from genre relationships, to find a different context for words and music, and to explore the trapdoor between poetry and classical music, which is very different than the trapdoor between poetry and folk music. But mostly I want to bypass the snags of cleverness, cliche, reference, expectation, to make something strong and true enough to find it's way to the heart... " “Weather is gorgeous, moving, exquisite, so well performed, written, imagined! ...I've cried stinging tears on Late, and slow soothing rivers with All Night Rain (that song is particularly stunning) and Bird...oh my... Each song unwrapping slowly like a present." -Louise Taylor