Anna

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He explained that the material on Falcon were written as acoustic songs, whereas for the new material, he was "building [them] up and getting drum beats and bass parts down" prior to them entering a studio.

AllMusic reviewer Heather Phares said the album follows the "polished, anthemic vein" of Falcon, while "bring[ing] back some of the swagger [from their debut] that was missing from those songs". In September 2013, the band performed at the Ibiza Rocks festival and Fray embarked on a solo acoustic tour of the UK, some shows included matinee performances. In June and July 2011, the band performed at Delamere Forest, in addition to playing at the Haigh Live and Isle of Wight Festivals. Following a meeting with Joseph Cross, he was enlisted to produce the band's next album; sessions were held at 80 Hertz Studios.

It peaked at number six in the UK Albums Chart; out of its three singles, "You Overdid It Doll" reached the highest at number 24 in the United Kingdom. Though originally scheduled for 28 January 2013, "Lose Control" was released as the album's lead single a month early on 10 December 2012; the seven-inch vinyl record edition featured "Chipping Away" as its B-side. musicOMH contributor Howard Gorman countered this by writing that Fray's "solid vocals keep the album on track and worthy of hearing through to the end".

The band toured the UK shortly afterwards; "Van Der Graaff" was released as the album's second single in May 2013. Discussing "The Sharks Are Circling", Fray said over time the guest list for their shows would get "longer, you recognise less and less people, and I just started to put my foot down.In December 2012, the band played another one-off show in Manchester, this time at the Manchester Arena, with support from the View, and at XFM's Winter Wonderland radio festival. Though Anna was in the running to top the UK Albums Chart during the mid-week, it ultimately peaked at number six, losing out to the Les Misérables soundtrack.

The song was released as the album's second single on 6 May 2013; the seven-inch vinyl edition featured a live version of "Last of the Ladies" as its B-side, while the digital download version included "Let Down Your Guard" and a remix of "Van Der Graaff". The Irish Times 's Lauren Murphy echoed a similar sentiment, stating that the most prominent issue with the band's "output is that it’s simply far too ordinary", explaining that it "rarely switch[es] tempo beyond a sturdy, mid-placed plod". We carry a broad range of CDs and vinyl (7”/12” singles and LPs) and specialise in indie, alternative, rock, punk, metal plus a few other genres. They spent the rest of the year working on their new album at a studio in Manchester, with the intent on releasing it early in the following year.Due to inventory and accounting purposes, we do not exchange items received for different items than originally purchased. was released as the album's third single on 6 December 2013; the seven-inch vinyl edition featured a remix of "Are You in Love with a Notion? The pair later met up and discussed various topics, before eventually talking about what the band wanted from their next album. Anna is the third album by British indie rock band The Courteeners, which was recorded with Hurts producer Joe Cross and released on 4 February 2013. Sometime after, they had accumulated six-to-seven new songs, though Fray was unsure of what direction they would take.

Anna received mixed reviews from critics, with some commenting on the production, while others thought the songs were uninspired. PopMatters contributor Ben Olson saw Anna as being "every bit as infectious as their impressive debut, but it is bigger, glossier, and clearly intended to be played in massive, sold out stadiums". It has been two years since Courteeners last album Falcon, which charted at number 6 and followed the bands number 4 debut album St Jude.Following its completion, Courteeners appeared at various festivals leading up to a one-off show at the Manchester Arena, and the release of the lead single "Lose Control" in December 2012. Push Yourself" is reminiscent of the disco-rock direction of Two Door Cinema Club and Franz Ferdinand. Marquee" is a violin-driven song that lacks drums, while "Money" is a glam rock and space rock track, styled after the work of Muse and Kings of Leon. Four days later, the artwork was revealed, showing a woman in front of cooling towers, wearing sunglasses with a reflection of a horse in them. Between June and August 2012, Courteeners appeared at the Chester Rocks, T in the Park and Reading and Leeds Festivals festivals, as well as a one-off show in Manchester to coincide with that year's Olympic Games.