 | Tracklist:
1. Poor Animal
2. Tower
3. Sea Talk
4. Lightsick
Release Date: 2010 | |
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On 3 Lists
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| Summary: Zola Jesus sheds away the darkness. |
"Goth is back." That utterance has been frequently employed when talking about Zola Jesus, the solo project of Wisconsin native Nika Roza Danilova. Danilova certainly seems to play the part of your stereotypical 'goth'; when she was 14, she started telling people at school to call her Zola Jesus - "so they would stop talking to me," she explained in a recent interview, adding, "I don't like humans very much." Her debut LP, The Spoils, was a defiantly messy affair, filled with grim, lo-fi atmospherics that repeatedly threatened to swallow Danilova up whole - but they never did. No matter how sonically dense they were, the songs still had Danilova's immensely powerful voice to hold them down.
That demonstrative voice became the focal point of Danilova's work with the release of Stridulum earlier this year. The EP was a significantly cleaner affair, abandoning the more grimy textures of The Spoils in favor of ominous synth tones and insistent beats. It was an impressive leap forward for the 21-year-old, but the songs were ultimately slight and unfocused, the melodies too limp to hold much interest. With Valusia, her newest EP, Danilova addresses those flaws; the record's four songs all show tremendous musical growth. Opener "Poor Animal" is more welcoming than anything Zola Jesus has ever released before, notably including a live string section alongside neon streaks of sound. With its four-on-the-floor beat, it's practically a dance track - albeit one darkly colored by the lyric "we are all delusional".
It's notable that Valusia is yet another step away from the darkness and fog that defined Danilova's early work. But her sound is no less compelling as it gets more accessible; on the contrary, the warmer melodies on these songs make Zola Jesus' sound more immediately gripping. The lyrics are less inane this time around - rather than singing about how "it's not easy to fall in love," Danilova is asking questions. Not particularly tough questions, mind you, but questions nonetheless; on "Sea Talk", she bellows affectingly, "Do you understand that I don't have a choice 'cause.. do you want to know?" Surrounded by lush harmonies (in major keys, no less!) and a propulsive beat, Danilova sounds simultaneously unsure of herself and completely comfortable in her own skin. Lines are repeated deliberately and take on a haunting quality; on the startlingly bare closer "Lightsick", Danilova sings "when the lights go out on us", over and over. She lands on that last word with splendid fervor, and we are left wondering if she's ecstatic or heartbroken.
It's this emotional depth that sets this EP apart as Zola Jesus' best work yet. Whereas Stridulum sometimes felt confined by its self-consciously dark and brooding tone, Valusia sounds liberated and, if not entirely unique, remarkably self-assured. So no, contrary to what the press may say, Zola Jesus is not simply a goth. Nor is she the next Kate Bush, Fever Ray, or Depeche Mode. Zola Jesus is nobody but herself, and her music is all the better because of it.
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| Recent reviews by this author | | | |
Uhhhh.....another new release from this chick, I cant keep up. Good review going to hear this.
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| | | Album Rating: 4
asidfijds I'm not pleased with this review, but I just couldn't make much progress on it. Thanks for the pos : )
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EP is so fucking good.
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this woman continues to amaze me. can't wait for her next full length.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
good review
love this artist
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"I don't like humans very much."
Haha... I all at once think this is retarded and completely valid. Another good review, Conrad.
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thanks kiran and matt
yeah i find that quote to be both off-putting and.. well, understandable
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Dude, you are one of the most consistent writers on the site. Glad you're sticking around. I said somewhere else I've always avoided her for the stupid name of her project, but I guess it makes sense if the whole point is to drive people away. I really, really like her sound though. Sea Talk is the bomb.
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Thanks, Alex. That means a lot coming from you.
Random factoid that I didn't manage to work into the review: that weird glob of stuff on her head in the Stridulum cover is actually chocolate syrup.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Haha, cool.
| | | Album Rating: 4
holy shit what has happened here
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Congratulations on the feature!
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Album rules but Stridulum is just a wee bit better.
| | | Album Rating: 4
thanks, matt. bitchfork i like this a good deal more than stridulum, i've been giving it to people who absolutely hated that EP and they've liked this a lot more. she's one of the rare artists where going "pop" is a really rewarding move
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She's pretty cool. Haven't heard this yet though.
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Also nice review
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heard a couple of songs on you tube, not too sure about her. congrats on the feature.
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I heard a song on the staff blog and preceded to grab an EP and a few of her albums. She sounds very interesting and this review was excellent, congrats Conrad.
Digging: CLARK - Iradelphic Digging: CLARK - Iradelphic
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nice review, have a pos
can't wait to check out
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ur doing it now
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