ANA
Moth (The Single)
Passion, Courage, and Beauty
By Michael Aronovitz
Author of The Winslow Sisters
ANA are a female fronted symphonic metal band that offer to us unapologetic beauty. In the single “Moth,” singer Anna Khristenko, unveils a glorious ballad with a driving finish that is vocally rich and ornate. The intimate closeups of her, in an elegant revealing white dress and black lace opera gloves, counteract in sweet irony with the rest of the band that is masked. In this, they unselfishly make their star stand out in a personal way that makes you feel as if she is singing to you right in your living room.
On musical grounds, the song fits the performance in that it is presented boldly, unafraid of what it really is, and that is an ethereal ballad with a brilliant hard climax. The first kick and power chord behind the spectacular watershed vocal ending the gentle section, is simply breathtaking. If you don’t get chills, you don’t have a pulse. As the song progresses, all atop the call of a machinegun marching drum, the band takes flight and soars.
As for symbolism, this is the wonderful kind of band that allows you to invent your own story and meaning, though the actress playing the older version of Anna, with a stellar performance, no doubt, makes us feel that we are looking here at the strength of dreams especially as we grow older. The camera work throughout the video is stripped down, yet effective, not only in the beginning as it coordinates the twinkles of the keys with Anna’s mannerisms and movements, but in the way that it cuts between the older “Anna” and the younger through clever positioning of the subjects.
Altogether, this song is a dream. The kind you want to go back to again and again.
