Whispers of Hypnotism
Eva Moolchan is becoming increasingly more difficult to pin down as an artist. While her earlier work could easily be defined by off-kilter basslines, punchy drums and a post-punk flavored aesthetic, she has always appeared a bit mysterious in the ears of the listener. Her voice is a bit unassuming. It is as if she is conversing with her audience. But even with this casual, conversational style, it is always hard to make out exactly what Moolchan is painting with her lyrics. For some, this is an aggravating characteristic. Moolchan’s nonchalant, non-descript poetry has led some to feel uninspired and ultimately bored. For some though, Eva’s naturalistic vocal approach and ominous lyrical snapshots only add to her music’s lure.
Now, three albums in, Eva is not only settled in her singing voice, but she is beginning to become a more inspired composer. The rather simple post-punk arrangements that comprised the fabric of her first two records have been tweaked to a sleeker sound. Eerie electronic samples paired with minimal, yet atmospheric hip-hop production create a solid foundation for Moolchan to showcase her breezy vocals. Overall, the result is something truly noteworthy. Highway Hypnosis is an appropriately named record. Moolchan’s chanting and familiar vocals suck the listener in with ease over a canvas of encompassing production.
Minute details really help drive this record home. This is evident from the very beginning with “Highway Hypnosis.” Though there isn’t a lot of melodic or lyrical depth to this track, there is a ton of impressive timbre choices. The clattering intercutting of sampled percussion instantly draws the listeners’ attention as Moolchan repeats the title track’s name over and over again. Though it is easy to be put into a trance by the repeating vocal phrase, one cannot help but notice the wild layering of vocals on this track. The low, gravelly voice paired with the shrieking and anecdotal passage creates a very party-like atmosphere to this track. The listener will feel like a fly on the wall as many different styles of voices are reverberating back at them. Similarly, the synth work on this track seems very conversational as well. Synth noises and effects sort of just bounce off of each other creating a palpable tension as the track goes on. Needless to say, this track is absolutely enthralling. Luckily, it is just a sign of things to come on this record.
The fluctuated vocals of “Addis” provide another extremely thrilling experience for listeners. The laughing tracks in the background combine with a chopped up vocal performance and ultimately morph into a sonic representation of anxiety. There is this overwhelming dread that surrounds the track. Even so, the production is still very bouncy. The reggae rhythms and funky basslines ultimately only heighten the tension in the unsure vocals due to the stark contrast between the two parts.
Moolchan’s cryptic vocal performance on the “pop track” of this album really showcases her post-punk influences. On “The Way it Goes,” booming bass is paired with a catchy synth motif to make a club style instrumental. Still, Moolchan embraces her identity on this track rather than comprising who she is. Instead of making a sure-fire pop song, Moolchan sings a very unassuming hook under a mountain of dissonant bass hits. The result is something absolutely enticing in the most confusing way possible, but as you can probably tell by now, that’s Eva’s allure. Her music is mysterious, uncompromising and unmistakably her.
On this latest project, Eva Moolchan took a major step as a musician. Her compositions became more gritty, dark and even a bit more accessible. While it is probably her poppiest adventure yet, it is also without a doubt her most adventurous. Her sonic palette has grown tenfold since her last project and one can only expect it will continue to grow as time goes on.
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