For over a decade, Nicole Rose Hummel has been writing almost perfect pop songs that usually don’t sound as if they aren’t that. With the exception of her album »Taiga«, on which she consciously worked with the formulas and the sound of pop, her music under the name of Zola Jesus generally has something that gets in the way of pop: a sense of colourful yet dark mysticism, a gothic patina – obscurity where pop offers glaring projection surfaces. Unlike previous albums, »Arkhon« was not written by her alone, but was realised with the help of producer Randall Dunn, arranger Louise Woodward and drummer Matt Chamberlain. And yet it sounds like a Zola Jesus record from beginning to end. Already the opener »Lost« starts with the sounds of a polyphonic folkloristic choir from Eastern Europe – the Voix Bulgares send their regards – and relies on Hummel’s anthemic vocals in addition to rhythmically used breathing noises. Whether over a string quartet as on »Dead and Gone« and the fragile piano chords of »Desire« or over rattling industrial rock rhythms on »Sewn« and in balladic moments like in »Undertow«: Her drawn-out phrasings and expansive hooks set the tone of a record that, thanks to Chamberlain’s additions, focuses more on rhythms than on mere atmosphere, but ultimately comprises a few almost perfect pop songs.
Future Islands
People Who Aren’t There Anymore
4AD