An atmospheric adventure

Over the last seven years, Julia Holter has done a lot to make her name in the indie pop genre, with one of the most exciting being the release of her sixth full-length album, best categorized as being an atmospheric adventure, this month. From the first note all the way through the final second, this album sets the tone that the listener will be taken through some ups and downs, making sure they feel as though they went through it all with Julia Holter.

Almost every song on Aviary is no less than six minutes in length and tend to feel like a few songs all put onto one track. This is something bittersweet about the album itself. On one hand it offers the listener something that will never go stale because there is always something new coming their way. However, on the other hand, it can make it feel like a song is dragging on, leading to the possibility of the listener losing focus or interest. Due to this being the nature of the album as a whole, it is a little more difficult to pinpoint which songs are standouts because each one has so many layers to it.

The composition of the album is something to be celebrated, especially the originality of it all. There is an underlying familiarity in sound across songs, such as “Everyday Is an Emergency” and “Another Dream,” however once each song picks up it becomes its own entity with its own identity. Because of this, it is easy to find yourself lost in the whimsical nature of Julia Holter and “I Shall Love 2” does just that. This track takes the listener through a number of feelings, starting off slower and building toward a grand musical moment that is then abruptly stopped by the end of the song. While it is simple lyrically, the composition makes for a beautifully written track.

The album ends on a beautiful note, literally with the piano that is featured on “Why Sad Song.” This track still embodies everything from before but takes a second to slow it down a bit, allowing the listener to really grab on to every note and let it process. The pairing of Julia Holter’s voice and piano is almost as though it was meant to happen, something of fate. While this album runs long in length, it is definitely a journey that the listeners should choose to go on at least once.