Zola Jesus - Stridulum II, a review
She's hotly-tipped by various outlets to be big in 2011, and NME have ranked this album #8 on their 'best of 2010' already (though that may be because, as things stand, she's currently unknown by the mainstream sphere...). But who is Zola Jesus, and why that name? Well I can tell you this much: she's an American soloist whose real name is Nika Danilova. She's in a band called Former Ghosts (who're described as very Joy Division-esque) and has been making music since 2007/8.
So to the album.
Hmm. 3D gimp masks.
ANYWAY. What's immediately obvious about Jesus (I'm going to use the surname for accidental humour) is her voice. It has very obvious comparisons to the likes of Florence Welch, Marina Diamandis and Siouxsie Sioux, in that kind of throaty, ambitious and powerfully emotional sense. The music on the other hand is perfectly pitched for today's indie market: with bands such as The XX, These New Puritans and White Lies very much the music du jour.
'Night' kicks things off with very much a sign of things to come. There are dreary synths, heavy drum beats and unusual sound effects to build an atmospheric backdrop for Jesus' voice to haunt over. A kind of pensieve romance and sense of lament persists as the drumbeat helps to punch away at the emotional wounds. 'Trust Me' continues with the depressed synths and echo effects reaffirm the tone of the album - but strange background noises help to keep your attention from wandering.
'I Can't Stand' thumps away at the drums and a bassline is brought in, welcomely upping the pace and whilst it's certainly melancholy, it lacks something. 'Stridulum' by contrast plays on creepy synths in contrast with the drums to create a sense of vulnerable hysteria. Her vocals are almost banshee-like in their potency here and upon repeat-listening it certainly gets a little disconcerting.
A rather predictable chord sequence in 'Run Me Out' coupled with the obvious signs of repeated and borrowed musical & lyrical themes give the track a sense of staleness. However it slowly builds into something quite spectacular, with a violin-synth crescendo saving face. 'Manifest Destiny' sounds angrier and more melodramatic than its predecessors, and it's another interesting change of tone.
The gothic tendencies continue with 'Tower': cynical, dark lyrics and moody music give off her obvious inspirations - The Cure, Joy Division, Echo and the Bunnymen amongst others. But as a classically-trained artist, Jesus avoids repeating history by adding a sense of majesty to the proceedings - avoiding the minimalist tendencies of her contemporaries. 'Sea Talk' is incredibly reminiscent of Joy Division's "Atmosphere" in that same sense of tense loneliness.
There's also a saving grace in closing track 'Lightsick' with the album's first use of a piano. But in a sense it's a little too late, even on an album with only 9 tracks, it feels like she's closing with her more classical influences in a last-ditch attempt to convince listeners. I suspect had there been more of this throughout she'd be more poised for universal acclaim.
Where to place Jesus is difficult. She's very much in the critics' favour right now but I wonder if that's because every other female solo artist around has sold out in some sense. But I can't see mainstream success being the path for Zola Jesus - more than likely a critical hit. Of course, the indie-kids will be delighted with that (whilst...simultaneously complaining about her lack of success, no doubt). But what do I know?
I think I'm more critical of the scene she's catering to, than her herself however. Whilst there're plenty of thousands of moody indie kids with no real grasp on emotional turmoil, that shouldn't detract from Jesus' talents. And I'll leave you with that amusing religious image.
Rating: 7.5/10
Highlights: Sea Talk, Stridulum, Manifest Destiny, Night
Avoid: I Can't Stand is probably the weakest track.
So to the album.
Hmm. 3D gimp masks.
ANYWAY. What's immediately obvious about Jesus (I'm going to use the surname for accidental humour) is her voice. It has very obvious comparisons to the likes of Florence Welch, Marina Diamandis and Siouxsie Sioux, in that kind of throaty, ambitious and powerfully emotional sense. The music on the other hand is perfectly pitched for today's indie market: with bands such as The XX, These New Puritans and White Lies very much the music du jour.
'Night' kicks things off with very much a sign of things to come. There are dreary synths, heavy drum beats and unusual sound effects to build an atmospheric backdrop for Jesus' voice to haunt over. A kind of pensieve romance and sense of lament persists as the drumbeat helps to punch away at the emotional wounds. 'Trust Me' continues with the depressed synths and echo effects reaffirm the tone of the album - but strange background noises help to keep your attention from wandering.
'I Can't Stand' thumps away at the drums and a bassline is brought in, welcomely upping the pace and whilst it's certainly melancholy, it lacks something. 'Stridulum' by contrast plays on creepy synths in contrast with the drums to create a sense of vulnerable hysteria. Her vocals are almost banshee-like in their potency here and upon repeat-listening it certainly gets a little disconcerting.
A rather predictable chord sequence in 'Run Me Out' coupled with the obvious signs of repeated and borrowed musical & lyrical themes give the track a sense of staleness. However it slowly builds into something quite spectacular, with a violin-synth crescendo saving face. 'Manifest Destiny' sounds angrier and more melodramatic than its predecessors, and it's another interesting change of tone.
The gothic tendencies continue with 'Tower': cynical, dark lyrics and moody music give off her obvious inspirations - The Cure, Joy Division, Echo and the Bunnymen amongst others. But as a classically-trained artist, Jesus avoids repeating history by adding a sense of majesty to the proceedings - avoiding the minimalist tendencies of her contemporaries. 'Sea Talk' is incredibly reminiscent of Joy Division's "Atmosphere" in that same sense of tense loneliness.
There's also a saving grace in closing track 'Lightsick' with the album's first use of a piano. But in a sense it's a little too late, even on an album with only 9 tracks, it feels like she's closing with her more classical influences in a last-ditch attempt to convince listeners. I suspect had there been more of this throughout she'd be more poised for universal acclaim.
Where to place Jesus is difficult. She's very much in the critics' favour right now but I wonder if that's because every other female solo artist around has sold out in some sense. But I can't see mainstream success being the path for Zola Jesus - more than likely a critical hit. Of course, the indie-kids will be delighted with that (whilst...simultaneously complaining about her lack of success, no doubt). But what do I know?
I think I'm more critical of the scene she's catering to, than her herself however. Whilst there're plenty of thousands of moody indie kids with no real grasp on emotional turmoil, that shouldn't detract from Jesus' talents. And I'll leave you with that amusing religious image.
Rating: 7.5/10
Highlights: Sea Talk, Stridulum, Manifest Destiny, Night
Avoid: I Can't Stand is probably the weakest track.
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