Julia Holter's Exstasis was my favorite album of 2012. I had never heard something so beautiful. The album was just too weird and wonderful... So what did I do? I didn't include it in my year end list, not because it wasn't deserving or that I messed up and forgot about it, but because I didn't know how to write about it. Truth be told, I still don't. I would find myself just staring at a blank screen. I could not put into words my love for this album. It just made its way into my heart: the beautiful music, her wonderful voice. But it also tapped into something deeper. Exstasis felt timeless, like it was caught in between worlds. I was caught in it, and I still am, her alluring web. Needless to say, but I was thrilled to see that she would release a follow up in 2013, the near perfect Loud City Song. What makes Loud City Song so great is its diversity. I love the way the stunning opener, "World," blossoms into "Maxim's 1." The instrumentation on here is straight gorgeous. "Horns Surrounding Me" picks up the pace as the Julia sounds as if she actually running from horns as they begin to close in on her. Also, it was this song where I began to piece together the theatre elements found throughout Loud City Song. "In The Green Wild" is one of my favorite songs this year and the way she deconstructs Barbara Lewis' "Hello Stranger" is mesmerizing. Without ruining it, the rest of the album is just as beautiful as the first half. LCS is a cinematic gem. Julia Holter is truly one of the greatest artists today and her new album is amazing. Exstasis was an album of such heavenly beauty, its music seemed to float above me. With Loud City Song, Julia Holter touches earth.
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