Julia Holter - Have You In My Wilderness

Julia Holter has recently described the frustrations while penning her fourth release, likening it to a “troubled child.” There is, however, nothing boisterous about the classically driven arrangements that unfold and entwine lethargically. The sole point of contention is Holter’s choral vocals, which, at times, are discordant- jolting the sound from reverie to reality. Her voice is by far her most emotive tool, although its power lies in its reticence. She never fully invites confrontation; despite littering the album with provocative questioning such as “Why do I feel you running away?” on concluding track Have You in My Wilderness. In fact, the album’s difficult conception is almost unbelievable given the self-assuredness evident on Lucette Stranded on the Island as she cooes “Can anybody help us?” coquettishly rather than pleadingly. Perhaps, then, her earlier analogy is only true in its indecisiveness: Does the album want resolution? Or just articulation? Either way, Holter’s experimental folk succeeds in its creation of atmospheric melancholy. The mood is only compromised by Sea Calls Me Home, the LP’s biggest disappointment, as it seems undeveloped and inauthentic compared to the rest of the soul bearing songs.