Julia Holter:
Loud City Song:
Domino:
Out Now:
★★★½
Out for a while but worthy of a late review, Julia Holter's third album is a magnet for a journo's superlatives. By turns blissful, ethereal, atmospheric, intense and glimmering (well, you get the picture), 'Loud City Song' takes just nine songs to introduce itself and just one centrepiece to win over the listener. Barbera Lewis' R&B hit from the '70s 'Hello Stranger' kicks in, or should I say shimmies its way into earshot midway through the album and succeeds in soothing the listener, resembling something like Sinead O'Connor, Daughter (minus the drums), Enya, Liz Fraser, Seefeel, Cranes and the like. It is a bit special and actually compliments the original.
The rest of the album ain't too shonky either, pitching somewhere between 4AD circa late '80s, Kate Bush, PJ Harvey and Tuneyards - kooky, epic, cyclical, rhythmic and avant-garde without being too arty and pretentious. Other highlights include 'Maxim's I' which starts like a soundtrack to a choppy sea-trip and ends like, er, another tempest of crashing cymbals and watery motifs - in the middle is as sublime a song as you could wish to hear. 'This Is a True Heart' fits in well with the Purity Rings and London Grammers of this world, a light and airy sax-driven electro-pop romp in all but name, while 'City Appearing' gets all Eno on us as it brings the album to a close.
Holter's voice isn't anything unique but her prowess as a tunesmith and a writer can't be argued with. Rather appealing - I'd expect to see this in a few end-of-year lists, it's in mine.
Loud City Song:
Domino:
Out Now:
★★★½
The rest of the album ain't too shonky either, pitching somewhere between 4AD circa late '80s, Kate Bush, PJ Harvey and Tuneyards - kooky, epic, cyclical, rhythmic and avant-garde without being too arty and pretentious. Other highlights include 'Maxim's I' which starts like a soundtrack to a choppy sea-trip and ends like, er, another tempest of crashing cymbals and watery motifs - in the middle is as sublime a song as you could wish to hear. 'This Is a True Heart' fits in well with the Purity Rings and London Grammers of this world, a light and airy sax-driven electro-pop romp in all but name, while 'City Appearing' gets all Eno on us as it brings the album to a close.
Holter's voice isn't anything unique but her prowess as a tunesmith and a writer can't be argued with. Rather appealing - I'd expect to see this in a few end-of-year lists, it's in mine.