Sweeping, dramatic, intense production is Zola Jesus’ marker onTaiga. At times it would be nice to hear Nika Roza Danilova’s voice stripped back and allowed to stand on its own, but sometimes it gets drowned out by the overly busy production.
On some tracks the effect works – like ‘Go (Blank Sea)’ and the album’s highlight ‘Dangerous Days’, where the rising melody and pulsing rhythms complement the soaring vocals. Not so successful are ‘Dust’ and ‘Ego’. But ‘Lawless’, with its snapping snares, brings the focus back to her voice. Album closer ‘It’s Not Over’ is glinting and echoic, fading out to silence.
All the competing elements are at times distracting. When a press release uses the word ‘accessible’, it gives me pause, because often what made an artist so engaging and entertaining in the first place were the quirks and what they did differently.
Of course, different can be alienating, but it can also be fascinating, and while I’m all for progression, going back to basics a bit more could have been interesting on Taiga.
Sweeping and stirring, Taiga verges on overwhelming at times, but the soaring vocals are stunning.
3/5.
Taigais out now through Create Control/Mute.
