Julia Holter – ‘Something in the Room She Moves’ album review: a colourful, meditative voyage
THE SKINNY: Though she hails from the bustling city of Los Angeles, Julia Holter is a woman of the world. Her sonic explorations defy exclusive attachment to any one place or stylistic approach. In Something in the Room She Moves, Holter binds ten tracks with a spectrum of reflective, ethereal soundscapes accompanied throughout by her gentle yet empowering vocal command.
While an album can’t always have a solid concept, it should have a distinctive tone. The challenge for the artist is to furnish this world with enough variety to maintain the listener’s attention. This is no easy feat, but Holter excels in this field. With over a decade of experience, her eye for production is efficient and discerning.
Always different, always the same, Something in the Room She Moves cascades, light and dreamy, with elusive lyrics that allow personal interpretation. Conversely, we can detach from the words themselves and allow Holter’s breezy vocals to envelope and nurture the mind. Highlighting moments like ‘Ocean’ and ‘Evening Mood’ are understated and ambient but carry a wealth of textural colour.
With a timeless, nuanced style bristling with classical and contemporary instrumentals, Holter set out to “create a world that’s fluid-sounding, water-like, evoking the body’s internal sound world,” a mission accomplished with flying colours. Kaleidoscopic and romantic, this sonic voyage promises the listener cathartic escapism and exotic soundscapes.
For fans of: Wonderwall Music, vintage clothing outlets and springtime rambles.
A concluding comment from Alan Partridge: “This reminds me of the first time I listened to my The Beatles Greatest Hits CD. So struck was I by the foursome’s creative gall, I dropped my Toblerone in the footwell. Liquid listening.”
‘Something in the Room She Moves’ track by track:
Release Date: March 22nd | Producer: Julia Holter | Label: Domino
‘Sun Girl’: Holter attracts our attention from the off with a convergence of colourful sound effects that struggle at the start but soon find a rhythm with the ethereal vocals. The track is busy yet punctuated throughout by ambient, stargazing breaks. [3/5]
‘These Morning’: This introspective number takes its steps more gingerly than the charismatic opener. Holter observes the poetic beauty of morning through a sparse piano progression that grows in stature with brass, synthesised textures and overlapping vocal refrains that evoke ripples on a lily pond. [3.5/5]
‘Something in the Room She Moves’: The title track is a stand-out moment. Although it derives its name from George Harrison’s ‘Something’ lyrics, the only other comparison one can make is a vision of emotive beauty. Holter’s wonderfully dynamic vocal style brings this nourishing moment to life. [4/5]
‘Materia’: Stripping back the tempo, ‘Materia’ is a gentle piano ballad that recalls the introduction to ‘These Morning’ but decides not to erupt into a climax. Instead, we remain in a meditative headspace as Holter unfurls mysterious poetry. [3.5/5]
‘Meyou’: Lodged at the heart of the album is this curious vocal flourish. Holter joins a cosmic choir for a heavily stripped-back sound seasoned by obscure incantations and quaking baritones evocative of Aboriginal ceremony. It’s certainly different, but not the most enjoyable moment of the record. [2.5/5]
‘Spinning’: In a welcome, if slight, return to convention, we spin straight into this alluring avant-pop feast. A simple beat prevails in the foreground while a depth of strange sounds maintains a tribal feel. Holter invites us into the deep recesses of her psyche with an entrancing pulse in the vocals that undulate with the beat. [3.5/5]
‘Ocean’: Orchestral and ambient, this track warms to my Brian Eno sensibilities. Since we’re now in an oceanic setting, I can only assume the intermittent chirps are those of whale conversation. Underwater, we encounter a lonely feeling, but it’s one of peace, not danger. [4/5]
‘Evening Mood’: Another accessible highlight, ‘Evening Mood’ is a well-produced whirlpool of sound that introduces plenty of sounds but gives each a chance to shine in the mix. Holter’s whispered lyrics are elusive, but the line “Let’s not say it’s over just yet” seems to liken a faltering relationship to the closing hours of daylight. [4/5]
‘Talking to the Whisper’: In another simmering confluence of sound, Holter adds to her canon of tranquil yoga-apt tracks. That’s not to say this is featureless, however, with flutes, woodwind, irregular drum beats and fretless bass lines guiding an upward trajectory. [3.5/5]
‘Who Brings Me’: Holter finally leaves us on another gently powerful note. Keys take the position of percussion, allowing the album to land on a soft tone as whispers trail into a dreamy haze: “As I fall asleep, fading gusts of luck change my breath”. [4/5]
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