Lately I've mostly been listening to this stack of CD's I've brought with me from Italy and Spain, but I guess I'd better give it a break. However nice it is to venture out of the Anglo pop/rock realm, as we say in my country "too much kyrieleison bores even the priest". I thought of presenting albums of the recently deceased Glen Frey (Eagles) and Paul Kantner (Jefferson Airplane). They've both left a significant legacy behind and deserve a tribute. But it's too close to similar pieces on Bowie and Lemmy and I'd hate to turn my blog into a series of obituaries. Time to focus on the young and upcoming for a change and choose for presentation one of last year's hottest records - if not for the audience, at least for the music critics. Both MOJO and Uncut declared "Have You in My Wilderness" as their Album Of The Year for 2015. Everyone notes how much of a leap this is from her first three "difficult" albums and I have to admit that, despite being definitively a complex and "arty" work, it flows pleasantly, creating a relaxed and dreamy atmosphere. The orchestration is rich and intricate but never excessive, featuring strings, piano, harpsichord and sax as well as subtle electronics. I don't know if I should congratulate the producer for bringing all these elements together so harmonically or if it's the work of Holter herself, seeing as she has a degree in classical composition. Her singing is crystal clear and invites comparisons to the great female singer-songwriters of the 70's: Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush, the reclusive Linda Perhacs - who also happens to be a former collaborator. I'd like to add an uninvited comparison: P.J.Harvey, although even her quieter moments ("White Chalk", "Is This Desire" - the albums you've forgotten about) Harvey's hardly an ethereal presence. On second thought, Joanna Newsom may be a more valid modern analogue. "Ethereal" is, after all her middle name. Opener "Feel You" is case in point, a big "pop" number where ethereal backing vocals merge with swooning strings to create an autumnal feel, as evidenced by lines like "You know I love to run away from sun", while the chorus keeps repeating the question "Can I feel you? Are you Mythological?", to noone in particular. "Silhouette" is slightly more experimental, strings getting unruly towards the end. "How Long?" is an atmospheric string-laden song, Holter slowly intoning every syllable like Nico. "Lucette Stranded on the Island" is slow and psychedelic, sounding as if played under water. It's one of many songs with an aquatic theme, just like the next one, "Sea Calls Me Home". This has more of a rock ballad feel, all instrument clear and separated from each other: piano, whistling, a sax solo and "Penny Lane" strings playing in the background. Slowly I begin to find analogues in unexpected quarters: Here it's Siouxsie Sioux (How did I not see this earlier? maybe because Julia's image is Siouxsie's polar opposite: can you imagine her without makeup, wearing a simple shirt and jeans?). On the following "Night Song", it's Porcupine Tree backed by the Tindersticks' strings section. On the jazzy "Vasquez", it's Rickie Lee Jones. "Everytime Boots" is the anomaly here, a playful country-ish ditty providing a much needed change of pace. Album closer "Have You In My Wilderness" is a majestic ballad, airy vocals floating above the strings which sound, more than ever before, taken from a Tindersticks album. On the evidence of this album, Holter may have found the perfect sound for her: Intellectual and experimental yet perfectly approachable, classical yet timeless, recalling past music greats yet totally original. Despite that and despite the glaring reviews it was still largely ignored by the public: A song like "Sea Calls Me Home" numbers (at the moment) 300,000 youtube views compared to e.g. 1,2 billion for the new Adele single. Maybe the pace is too slow, or the singer's image is still way too arty. In any case, as much as I hate admitting it, I'll have to side with the critics on this one: this album is a masterpiece. For the full effect, play it on a rainy evening or at slow volume on a very quiet night...
***** for Feel You, Sea Calls Me Home
**** for Silhouette, Lucette Stranded on the Island, Night Song, Everytime Boots, Have You in My Wilderness
*** for How Long?, Betsy on the Roof, Vasquez
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