LA-based art-pop artist Julia Holter has added another dimension to her serene and surreal soundscapes on her latest album, Materia.
Joining Holter’s extensive catalogue as a companion record to Something in the Room She Moves, Materia ventures even deeper into the dreamworld melodies for which she is known. Abounding with delicately layered instrumentals and a range of vocal experimentation, Materia also stands confidently as its own musical entry.
Starting with ‘The Laugh Is in the Eyes’ as a euphoric opening to the phantasm of Materia. There’s a closeness and innocence that pierces the heart on this track. Harkening back to ‘Spinning’ for its namesake, ‘The Laugh Is in the Eyes’ arrangements flow over in waves until fluttering clarinet guides us past the pearlescent gates of Holter’s musical universe.
‘Fantasy’ is full of hope and sonic whimsy as you tumble backward down the rabbit hole. With shimmering melodies, knocking percussion, and a humming saxophone, the track coalesces into a fanciful, prismatic haze that beckons you further into the album.
While this next track is a remix, Holter truly flipped the original melancholic song on its head and transformed ‘Materia 2’ into a dramatic, dream-pop reimagining. Significantly shifting genres and cherry-picking the lyrics for this evolution, ‘Materia 2’ offers an inviting new pathway within Holter’s musical dreamscapes. Whispers sway to resounding choral harmonies as the notes ripple and wobble across the track’s surface. Mercurial with tonal textures of the imagination, ‘Materia 2’ is moving and magical. ‘Materia 3’, on the other hand, is a total key change from the original. A more alto approach cultivates a richness unique to this rendition and broadens the journey you can have with this song.
Materia acts brilliantly as a companion record but isn’t afraid to carve new ground for Holter either. Showcasing a variety in vocal range and expanding her dreamy worldbuilding, Materia cements that Holter’s only just getting started.
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