Julia Holter

These days I feel like there's a constant stream of amazing albums that no one's heard about.

Listening to some of the vocals on the new Mary Lattimore I checked to see if it was JH, but no.

New song is a bit of a departure, quite spiky and disjointed in parts. I think I like it but giving it a few more listens before I really make up my mind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsmBrWiC_94

far from a departure, listening to this gives me exactly the same frustrating experience listening to aviary did, she cannot leave a piece of music to do anything good without sabotaging its momentum, singing something faux-profound or reverting to a simple melody. the first minute and a half of this is the best bit, when it seems like it might be more interesting than it ends up, but that is often the way with her songs. i keep trying

i mean she really does seem likeable and like she's going for something interesting with an original aesthetic, i just don't know, the actual pieces of music never work for me :(

@imago Do you have a favourite piece of music (or album) by her?
Mine is still Ekstasis, although I love both Loud City Song and Have You in My Wilderness.
But I've yet to listen to Aviary - I was overwhelmed by it being a double, so I dropped the ball on it for fear of being overcomplicated. I remain very curious as to whatever she does next.

yeah I saved Maxim's I to a playlist before I really knew much about her, that one manages to go its entire length without doing something irritating. the middle bit of Les Jeux To You is really great but then it quits and starts messing about, it's so maddening

In Gardens' Muteness is also really good until she starts playing one note over and over again

Said with affection so don't take this the wrong way cos its a comment on how tastes differ rather than a personal attack, but all these descriptions of what you don't like about her music are absolutely the way I feel when I listen to most imagocore

not trying to discourage you from posting either btw, I do appreciate the way you keep giving her a listen even after so many failed attempts to connect with her music

All about personal songwriting logic-realms I suppose! Fire-Toolz recommended this new one - loads of people I trust like her!

New album March 22!

https://www.dominomusic.com/res/9xGJ/600_600/Julia_Holter_-_Something_in_the_Room_She_Moves_-_Packshot_WIG506D.jpg

Something in the Room She Moves

01 Sun Girl
02 These Morning
03 Something in the Room She Moves
04 Materia
05 Meyou
06 Spinning
07 Ocean
08 Evening Mood
09 Talking to the Whisper
10 Who Brings Me

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

Seeing her in April, can’t wait

Good new track for sure.

bass tone on this is my catnip

I'm still stuck on the cover. Also considered posting a pic of Tommy Wiseau. But count me as excited.

I'm still stuck on the cover.

Listened to Spinning on a proper stereo after heaps of phone / car plays - wow, so much beautiful detail

She is so great - feel like she could probably stand to be a lot better-known after turning out 5 excellent-to-stunning albums on the trot

New song pretty much pure bliss imo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNuEV9PzQMA

i've kept my mouth shut re:the pre-album tracks so far. i will break my silence by stating that those tracks have me excited enough that i may do a midnight listen for this one.

so excited. cover is great.

Might be career peak (so far)

10.37 local sidereal time + here is my first listen. will report back.

This is majestic. Absolutely the best thing I've heard from her.

she buried "evening mood" in the running order really purposefully. it's this album's "vasquez." apt comparison, too-- this really does feel like the area that's on the other side of the long, mysterious bridge that wilderness discovered + that aviary traversed. same recognizable universe, but, well, leveledup. i don't even wanna get into specifics, but i'll end this with some nerd shit. if you don't know phillip k dick, it won't make sense to you, sorry. if you do, go back + read his descriptions of the music "linda fox" made + what it sounded like in the divine invasion. i know it’s just ambiguous babble, but hmm... some of it really hits. maybe pkd was hearing music from the future? timeline just off a bit, eh?

about half as long as aviary but twice as good. i know, just first listen. but damn.

First impressions:
- This is her sophisti-pop album: fretless bass, flute, keys, slow extensive developments in a private space
- Less demonstrative compositionally than Aviary, more cinematic and less rhythmic, more at rest
- She does everything I want her to do, but somehow there are no surprises
- Although Evening Mood and Talk to the Whisper are definitely late stunners

I obviously need to immediately relisten, but on the strength of the end alone, this is very solid and Album of the First Quarter.

'her sophisti-pop album' seems otm so far and i really like that

oh man "talking to the whisper"

yeah i love this

it isn't as immense as aviary but not much is and it might even be better anyway

aoty aoty aoty

about half as long as aviary but twice as good

wow. Aviary being one of the best albums ever made.

loved this, don’t know if i would choose it over Aviary but glad to live in a world where i can have both - she really has had an incredible run, no dud albums and always moving forward - just one of the most excellent artists and i hope this album bumps her profile some - i know she is appreciated but probably not enough relative to the quality of her work

someone needs to do a nightcore/sped up version of "sungirl" + start using it for tiktoks. let's meme julia holter into the mainstream!

emsworth otm

I loved this on first listen, now I’m listening to “Tragedy” again

(Everyone: listen to “Tragedy”, it’s one of the best debuts of all time)

this seems like v weird angle to come from, but I'd forgotten how much I love the preciseness of her diction

can confirm repeat listening is to the listener's benefit.

also good observation, nick. her music is nothing if not wholly intentional. is that what we talk about when we talk about "songcraft"?

"Talking to the Whisper" is stunning on this. Somehow she seems underrated now.

album is doing p good on metacritic so far. for a potentially more questionable source, it's currently on pace to usurp wilderness as her top rated album on rateyourmusic.com.

but also, it really is children's music that should be on the radio, so i get what you mean.

A bit too much flute on first listen. Balanced out by some great Weber-y bass playing. Besides that -- wow. The title track is an immediate favorite. She really captures everything elliptical and romantic I loved in Kate Bush's best music. But she is completely her own person.

this album reminds me of talk talk, david sylvian, and aerial which is all i could ask for

Great album, could have been her best but sadly there are about 3-4 weaker songs..

"Evening Mood" is gorgeous.

A bit too much flute

no malice whatsoever, but you're weird.

Yep this is great. Listening again to “Meyou” I recalled Whiney’s timeless Grimes takedown: “sounds like you’ve come home to discover that your cat has learned how to use Ableton”

^lol

xxpost wtf?

idk if this is a lazy take (it probably is), but "meyou" made me think of a medulla track from bjork (i mean this v positively)

xpost- hi jay vee! i'm just an offended flute fan having a goof. pay me no mind.

m bison-
i think it's an important part of the discourse to try + figure out where stuff came from. sighting medulla as a possible source is more than valid with that song. (i get that medulla wasn't the first or best or anything, but in a pop music context, the rules changed a bit after that album)

on that note, i will take this opportunity to bring up skin diver by nona hendryx. i only heard it for the first time in the past few years, but it immediately sounded like a distant relative of julia holter's music. the new album has solidified that for me.

+on that note, it blew my mind to find steve tibbetts on one of her artist-curated playlists last album cycle. idk why that's so entertaining to me. i found tibbetts years before holter, but the connection makes immediate sense.

If anyone here wants two tickets to her London show on the 9th let me know (and give me some way to contact you). I’ve got to be in Scotland for a funeral. Not looking for any money, just want the tickets to be enjoyed, gutted I can’t make it.

"Meyou" reminds me a bit of Meredith Monk's stuff, which of course inspired Medúlla, so cosign I guess

can recommend catching her on tour for this, live set up for the new songs was pretty incredible; Dev Hoff killing it on fretless bass especially. did a beautiful rendition of Meyou with Jenny Hval and her band too, though I think that was a London treat.