Zola Jesus - Stridulum II (CD, Vinyl LP)

This basically expands the 'Stridulum' mini-album (that originally appeared on Sacred Bones) into a full length adding 3 extra tracks to bulk it up. This girl has a knack of writing what is essentially dark gothic pop music. Almost like a more bubblegum Dead Can Dance At Times. Her operatic vocal training shows in her voice although sure never really belts it out. The overall mood is ghostly and ethereal rather than being overtly dark. Anyway you can check out what Brian had to say about the first version. The additional tracks feel like they make the record a more complete statement rather than being tagged on the end as an afterthought although 'Sea Talk' is a re-recorded version which originally appeared on 'Tsar Bomba' and it really reminds me of Joy Division classic 'Atmosphere'.