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In her previous release in 2018, Aviary, renowned composer Julia Holter, based in Los Angeles, aimed to recreate the conflicting thoughts and feelings of living in modern times. She incorporated medieval Occitan, bagpipes, and a variety of other instruments to capture the restless nature of the mind. Now, with her new album Something in the Room She Moves, Holter continues to ambitiously aim to capture the essence of presence and transformation, although this time with a more accessible approach. The focus is on beauty rather than overwhelming stimulation, as seen through the use of flutes and Holter’s smooth vocals in the 10 tracks. The pandemic, becoming a mother, and the loss of her young nephew have all influenced this new work, which even reworks a Beatles song title to highlight female empowerment.
The presence of tracks like Sun Girl suggests that Holter has not completely abandoned her pop sensibilities, which were evident on her 2015 album Have You in My Wilderness. However, the melodies here are lighthearted and dreamy, with Sun Girl reminiscent of the 21st-century psychedelia of Animal Collective and Spinning blending hydraulic beats and jazz flute with a chorus that attempts but ultimately fails to capture something indescribable. A variety of found sounds and jazz influences keep the listener engaged, but the floating, extended, and gliding elements lack the bold sensory overload of Aviary and the pop instincts of Wilderness. The standout track is the simplest one: Meyou, a twisted, minimalistic vocal meditation.
Source: theguardian.com
