Just imagine baroque pop influenced by Christine McVie from Fleetwood Mac successfully combined with jazz and trip hop. Now add emotional confidence to it and you will get Julia Holter. Her fourth album Have You In My Wilderness reached top 30 on UK Album Chart and infatuated British critics. I am not surprised she made it. I was a big fan of her discography until this album, but now I perceive her as a goddess.
California-based singer didn’t have to travel much to get inspiration for this album. Everything converges to the representative Californian sound: Fleetwood Mac vibe, vocal with a similar sensibility to Christina McVie’s and complex pop arrangements that bring Judee Sill to memory. In case you didn’t know, Jude Sill was uber talented lady from the 70s whose life was destroyed by drugs and criminals.
The character is a key word of this record : Julia sings like no one is listening to her. She manages to sound concise, well-rounded, but not eccentric. She does not fall into a trap of desperately trying to create something quasi original to satisfy high hipsters who like to believe they are the only ones who understand avant-garde sound. Her goals are emotions, clarity and unity.
The album is made of few full blooded pop singles and ambitious, complex pieces that you need to pay special attention to. Have You In My Wilderness requires the place, time and concentration for listening.
Betsy On The Roof brings another Californian eccentric to mind, crazy diamond Van Dyke Parks. Opening Feel You serves as an aperitif that suggests rich dinner. You will satisfy your hunger when you hear Lucette Stranded On The Island, while Vasquez will satisfy your thirst for diversity. Vasquez is an intriguing psychedelic trip-hop.
Julia Holter is wild and talented. Exclamation point.
