Zola Jesus – Stridulum EP

Stridulum isZola Jesus’ fourth release on Sacred Bones Records and her first to be recorded on “professional” equipment, allowing Danilova to bring her cavernous vocals to a sharper edge against a characteristically dark, droning instrumental backdrop. Still done over a powerful mass of ragged ambience, her vocals are here joined by synth and live drums, making the songs on Stridulum less impenetrable than past collections and even downright catchy. Here’s the lead track, which happens to be my favorite:

Zola Jesus – Night

You can get your copy of the 12″/CD for an entirely reasonable $12/$10 from the God-fearing Christians at Sacred Bones . Incidentally, kudos to them for consistently designing some of the most beautiful album packaging to appear in the last decade.

Gorgeous porgeous,

Dwight