Julia Holter

She's playing in Glasgow soon but it's sold out :(

branwell otm

I'm not so good with putting things into words

this is nonsense btw

But there's this beautiful precision and skill and restraint to this record, even though there are touches of wildness that burst through the formal qualities and make it even more lovely.

Totally OTM.

I often feel like we see mannerism and restraint as a kind of force that gives shape to other things, like a breeze creating ripples on a pond. Each of Holter's records find a different point of accommodation between a variety of impulses, and I would not at all be surprised if she thinks very carefully about her records as different conversations between countervailing tendencies.

This is probably the first of them where songform and songfulness is one of those tendencies, rather than something that gets produced as a byproduct of other conversations.

Loud City Song, for instance, doesn't strike me as being about songs, but perhaps about the chanteuse-performance, which necessarily involves some interrogation of song-form at a second order level.

She was pretty good in an old music hall in London last night, not the most confident of live performers and the size of her band meant she had to strip down the arrangements on several songs that on record are notable for their lushness. But the sparser songs that really fitted with the on-stage setup (Vasquez, Have You In My Wilderness) were incredible.

i enjoyed the lack of polish in her onstage between-song banter in brighton the other night. sang snatches of roxy music and orinoco flow among other things, all very endearing. but yeah vasquez was a surprise standout - at least i think it was that which had an earthy violin/drums/bass coda that made me think of some 70s island records fairport-ish brit-folk thing

new gorgeously dreamy video for "silhouette:"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8_ZWlOKsUQ

hey this album is really cleaning up the year-end lists! and all of my favorite people are here talking about it! i forgot to give it a shot prob bc i didn't really care for loud city song. what i've heard is super lovely

Report back!

yeah i love this. as stated throughout this thread this is her most immediate record and parts of it are still kinda elusive to me, her sense of rhythm is sometimes really strange and displaced which is something that both pulls me in and sometimes leaves me feeling adrift.

the instrumentation on this record is super gorgeous and feels so deliberate that you really appreciate the choices she made

really wish i had heard this record before i filed my enya review lol. their records go great together

She's playing shows in the UK, Dublin and Paris in February :)

Have You In My Wilderness has grown into an AOTY contender for me (as seems to be the case for a lot of people on this thread).
Been exploring her back catalogue over the last few days. So far I'm slightly preferring Ekstasis to Loud City Song, although (a) they're both pretty good and (b) neither of them has grabbed me as strongly as HYIMW yet. Will give Tragedy a shot next.

Buzzing for the Glasgow show in February already :)

Ekstasis > Tragedy > HYIMW > LCS

imo

saw her last night, loved it

This is really wonderful music. Where have I been?

Austin

I hate people who have the opinion that I'm about to have but wow does "Tragedy" completely tower over everything else she's done (or anybody else for that matter)

Will have to search that one out.

Saw her play a mini set on a small keyboard at L.A. nonprofit film house
The Cinefamily with maybe 10 other people a few years back. She is just a
transcendent talent, and her continued success and creative growth makes me think
she'll be a significant force to be reckoned with for a long time

What if she is Luke skywalker's daughter hmmmm

Ekstasis is very good.

(first time hearing it right now)

One run through of Tragedy and I'm pretty disappointed by its non-songs that just seem to meander. Maybe I need to sit with it a little more, but on first impression, not terribly impressed.

The version of 'Feel You' she performed with the Orchestra of Syrian Musicians at Africa Express is quite something. Sadly can't find it on youtube http://open.spotify.com/track/5cvrDq3ESa2CpfG7oEiUc9

In the Same Room not only justifies its existence fairly easily, some of these new recordings feel very much definitive.

Excellent.

I'll check it out. Saw her twice on tour and the first time was great (Loud City Song) but the next show for Have You In My Wilderness felt like a night full of constantly crescendo-ridden pop. Made me miss the subtlety of Ekstasis.

She's on the new Laurel Halo album, Dust

The new rearrangement of “So Lilies” from In the Same Room is so great. I’d be down for the whole of Tragedy re-recorded with a full live band.

I fucking adore that NPR article, great job. I put off reading it until I familiarised myself with the album a bit, because I didn’t want to have any preconceived expectations before listening. But boy, this piece (and the track-by-track analysis) really does give another dimension to this already complex record. Especially for a person like me—English is not my first language, so it really helped me catch some nuances/references in the lyrics. Thanks.

^ Shit, wrong thread. Sorry.

but who's that article about, i wanna read it

I saw her in Bologna last night. There was a lot of new material, which left a very favourable first impression. There was one song the title of which she said she didn't know, which is probably the most boisterous song she's ever written, with high-pitched vocal freakouts and what have you. Bring on the next album, in an event.

Yeah, saw her in Lisbon last week, impressive show, just her and a piano, a guy on synths. Good songs, a style of her own.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhBrJDgIxO4

revisiting this album and love it.

the vocal on "What did i do to make you feel so bad? What did i do that you would make me feel so bad?" kills

also love the euphoric birdsong vocals of "lucette stranded on the island"

it's such a great album! i've started listening to it when i want to calm and center myself, and it works wonders

^ good way of putting it

Kind of inspired by the 'best multi-album run' thread, because she's had a fantastic one.

ANY news about a new LP? Rumours?

I saw her live in November 2016, she debuted two or three new tracks -- she even thanked the audience for being enthusiastic about this new, yet-unreleased material. It made me think a new album was surely coming very soon, but that was obviously not the case. HYIMW turns 3 in two months, I think it's been her longest break between records so far?

Would love a new record soon. Have You In My Wilderness and In the Same Room have set the expectations pretty high, but I'm hopeful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5uwPaCvbhA

this is maybe the best thing she's ever done

Double album Aviary out on October 26th, can't wait!

a double album! awesome

press release mentions "Blade Runner-inspired synth work" ...!

Wow, that single is gorgeous. Kind of reminds me of something from Laure Anderson's Mister Heartbreak.

Pre-ordered that shit so fast.

New song is good. Really looking forward to a double album from her. She's done nothing except improve with record, so my hope are pretty high for Aviary.

I love the new single. Luxurious.

I’ve given her a bunch of chances and was encouraged by the synth mention above but stuff doesn’t have enough structure for me, not enough of a groove I guess

Cannot wait as well

she is good live. first time she told me that if i wanted to buy her record, i had to make sure i had bus change. mensch

second time it was all crescendos, but have you in my wilderness is top drawer

I saw her live in the Berghain, phantastic place and great concert. She is so natural and has quite a large spectrum, she never ceases to amaze. In a way I see her as the legitimate successor of Laurie Anderson. Though her music is totally different.

^ I totally get what you're saying with the Laurie Anderson comparison! Of course they're miles away stylistically but at the same time it makes so much sense in my mind.

I saw her live twice, the first time after Ekstasis and before Loud City Song, and the second time after Have You in My Wilderness. Both shows were great but the second one was especially moving and memorable (nice indoor venue instead of a festival tent; she also seemed more confident as a perfomer and it seemed... IDK, somehow grander?). She's an incredible musician, it's such a joy to just sit and watch her play. After the second show she also did a meet & greet almost immediately afterwards and seemed like a truly lovely person, but I was too shy to approach her (and I didn't bring anything to sign).