The music of Los Angeles-based musician Julia Holter is often described as avant-garde. It’s an appropriate depiction for an artist whose 2011 debut, Tragedy, was inspired by Euripides’ Greek play, Hippolytus. She’s also created works based on the writings of Virginia Woolf, Frank O’Hara, and Colette — the latter’s novella Gigi provided much fuel for Holter’s 2013 album, Loud City Song.
Holter, a classically trained pianist who studied composition at California Institute of the Arts, has always excelled in crafting both intimate and sprawling music that maintains just a glimmer of pop sensibility. Her newest effort, Have You in My Wilderness, is perhaps the most pop album she’s ever done and leaves the literary narratives behind in favour of warmer, airier arrangements. It’s not an orthodox compilation by any means, however, and upholds the intricacy and enigma that makes Holter such an intriguing character herself. The album has garnered much critical praise, placing #1 on both Mojo and Uncut’s Best Albums of 2015 lists and earning a prominent spot on year-end lists by The Line of Best Fit, PopMatters, and DIY.
The musician is currently on an extensive North American tour and performs in Vancouver at the Cobalt on February 4.
Julia Holter
When: February 4, 2016
Where: Cobalt – 917 Main Street
Tickets: $15 online via TicketWeb
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