music
April 24, 2026
Anohni review
Barbican, London Accompanied by a virtuosic band and powered by her operatic voice, Anohni is as good as Nina Simone at interpreting songs – and her own catalogue proves equally malleable yet strong
TL;DR
- Anohni's 'Wilderness' show explores themes of exile and alienation.
- The performance features Anohni's virtuosic band: Gaël Rakotondrabe (piano), Chris Vatalaro (percussion), and Leo Abrahams (guitar/bass).
- Anohni's operatic voice and interpretive skills are compared to Nina Simone's.
- Songs from her own catalogue, like 'Drone Bomb Me' and '4 Degrees', were reinterpreted from their electronic origins.
- The show included covers of Lou Reed's 'Perfect Day' and the spiritual 'Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child'.
- A film of swans played throughout the 90-minute performance.
- The sound mixing was noted for its quality, handling vocal extremes and a harsh drum solo.