Zola Jesus
Conatus
Album · Alternative · 2011 · Sacred Bones Records
Nika Roza Danilova stretches her wings on Zola Jesus’ third album, crafting a grand, gorgeous mix of ambient gothic pop. "Swords" anxiously fidgets in a wasteland of synths and beats, and "Vessel" pumps along a chilly industrial backbone, while Danilova lets every sound ebb and flow, creating a feeling of endlessness. Her vocals magnify the effect—every syllable flirts with infinity as she bellows over sumptuous strings on "In Your Nature," and she echoes Kate Bush on the ghostly piano ballad "Skin."
Conatus
Zola Jesus
Nika Roza Danilova stretches her wings on Zola Jesus’ third album, crafting a grand, gorgeous mix of ambient gothic pop. "Swords" anxiously fidgets in a wasteland of synths and beats, and "Vessel" pumps along a chilly industrial backbone, while Danilova lets every sound ebb and flow, creating a feeling of endlessness. Her vocals magnify the effect—every syllable flirts with infinity as she bellows over sumptuous strings on "In Your Nature," and she echoes Kate Bush on the ghostly piano ballad "Skin."
