Julia Holter
Have You in My Wilderness
DOMINO
8/10
Julia Holter crafts songs that resemble phantasms stuck outside of time. The intricate productions on the LA singer-songwriter’s first three albums possessed the capacity to float in and out of a room but would linger with the listener throughout the day. This was especially true of 2013’s conceptual jazz nocturne Loud City Song. That release (Holter’s first for Domino) often swerved into jarring and melodically claustrophobic alleyways during its beautiful sojourn, and this magic is present once again on her latest and most accessible release, Have You in My Wilderness. But My Wilderness isn’t just a repeat of Loud City Song—there’s new depth to the LP. Throughout the album’s ten tracks, Holter confidently steps into her own as a storyteller, especially on the buoyant and poppy songs “Feel You,” “Sea Calls Me Home,” and “Everytime Boots.” Newer, more eclectic influences like Talk Talk’s eerie post-rock or the 1958 film Gigi have seeped into My Wilderness, but Holter’s animated voice and talents as a pianist remain at the core of the album. With Have You in My Wilderness, Holter’s musical worlds continue to engross.
