Zola Jesus : " Arkhon"

 

One of my favorite singers of the past decade, I breathed a sigh of relief when I pressed play and found this album is another step into the darkness instead of taking a poppier turn. This time rather than taking everything on herself she worked with producer Randall Dunn, and former David Bowie drummer Matt Chamberlin.  The former's influence can be felt the most. The second song moves with a more organic fluidity to its groove. Are some of her vocal passages more accessible here? Yes, but I am not sure I would call this pop music as it is more complex in both arrangement and laying.  Something similar could be said of "Undertow". How her vocals sit in the mix, is not pop either nor is the ambiance weaved in the song. 

"Into the Wild" sets her voice more against ambiance than groove. It reminds me musically of Bjork in the intangible sparseness that floats around her voice, which has greatly matured. The song doesn't really become solid until the last minute. "Dead and Gone" is a little more dramatic and straightforward, with strings backing her. It showcases her belting it out in a more conventional sense. "Sewn" is a more interesting song due to the darker sonics and actual groove that moves it.  When it comes to the more delicate piano ballad " Desire" it is hard to deny her vocal talent. It almost reminds me more of something Kate Bush might do. Is it what I prefer when it comes to her music? No, I want something more like the previous song, but I can not fault her for doing this and respect her talents.  

"Fault" reminds me the most of her earlier work, though gone are any of the 80's Siouxsie and the Banshees ghosts haunting the sounds. "Efemra" falls someone between her past and present. In so doing it is a highly effective song as it reaches a blend of sonic colors she excels at . The vocals sit back in the reverb, but are stil forward enough in the mix to be the focal point. This album is very well produced as it aids in creating a sonic balance. I had to hear the last song few times before it sunk in,. There is almost a shoe gaze like vibe to it's haze. I approve of this as it offers a more surreal swirl of shadows to envelope her.  I will round this up to a 10, which makes it perhaps take more warming up to in some places than her past work, but she is much more sure of her voice.This album comes out May 20th on Sacred Bones .