Zola Jesus, who will be a part of the lineup in the 2017 Basilica Soundscape, has recently released a new song “Soak”. This will the second track that will be a part of the upcoming album Okovi.

According to a press release, much of Okovi echoes her early work released on Sacred Bones, the music “written in pure catharsis” and its sound “heavy, dark, and exploratory.” The artist has said “this album is a deeply personal snapshot of loss, reconciliation, and a sympathy for the chains that keep us all grounded to the unforgiving laws of nature.” This is shown by the mysterious, dark tune that defines “Soak,” a song told from the point of view of a serial killer’s victim. While the artist has a high vocal delivery, there are echos that fill the backgrounds= of the song. As the song progresses, there is a drum solo that’s backed up by a low screeching echo. The style is similar to the artist’s early work and all the way through her last album. The song can be listened to, below.

In a statement that was released along with the single, the artist says “We’re all shackled to something — to life, to death, to bodies, to minds, to illness, to people, to birthright, to duty. Each of us born with a unique debt, and we have until we die to pay it back. Without this cost, what gives us the right to live? And moreover, what gives us the right to die? Are we really even free to choose?”

(Photo Credit: Pamela Lin)