Will is a beautifully written work of art that finds Barwick reaching out to a larger audience, but completely on her own terms.
It's the sound an artist, whose mysterious and celebrated process has ironically created theatrical and curated work to this point, finally achieving subtlety.
Will is a triumph - it takes the kosmische regurgitations of Oneohtrix Point Never, the choral, almost religious feel of early Julia Holter and the relentless thirst for finding the new in the old of The Caretaker to make an entirely new statement.
Will may at first seem small, private, and modestly appointed—just a room with a piano, a synthesizer, and a looping pedal—but once you settle in, it feels as vast as the universe in there.
With Will, Barwick has once again created something only she could. It's a remarkable achievement—in whatever genre she decides to embrace.
Will is a deeply dramatic showcase throughout – Barwick's vision might have its foundation in traditional forms but the way in which she deconstructs and rebuilds is a distinctly renegade act.
On the self-produced Will, there's an extraordinary confidence behind Barwick's voice and arrangements.
Despite its nearly weightless presence, Will ultimately is a record about going places, even if it takes its sweet time. Uninterested in either Point A or Point B, Will is happy to just drift about in the in-between.
An intentionally fragmented portrait of change, Will's cracks show the growth in Barwick's music, and its pieces are facets that allow different aspects of her talent to shine.
The loop pedals are still present of course, and it’s not a huge leap from previous albums The Magic Place and Nepenthe, but the overall sound is richer and lusher than ever before.
Barwick’s music is lyrical, wordless, a poetics of negation and repetition. The scatter-worlds of play, ambiguity, and never-empty space. So it breathes, conjures.
Evocative and turbulent, the mostly buoyant compositions seek the freedom to extend beyond a moment or locale. A faintly sketched canvas, listeners can color their own emotions to Will.
It’s understandable that Barwick wouldn’t want to do a total 180 into electronic territory. But that probably would have yielded a superior album. Rather, Will is a wobbly baby step from a well-honed sound to something greater. There’s not much reason to listen to it over any of her other albums, and it’s less interesting for the music it contains than the music it promises.
Will showcases a lot of Barwick’s strengths, the synthesizers, the deep vocals and the catchy loops, but it seems like sometimes she just doesn’t fully explodes them at best. I felt in a rollercoaster, she gave me a strong track, then a good one, then a boring. It’s inconsistent, like you’re always waiting for something more to happen but you’re left there without the dessert. Overall, I liked the vibe and I think the length of the songs is perfect.
Fav tracks: ... read more
julianna barwick has a very pretty voice, and when you pair that with some good ambient production, you get an album that's pleasant to listen to throughout its 38-minute runtime
julianna barwick has a very pretty voice, and when you pair that with some good ambient production, you get an album that's pleasant to listen to throughout its 38-minute runtime
1 | St. Apolonia 2:13 | 70 |
2 | Nebula 5:34 | 80 |
3 | Beached 4:08 | 70 |
4 | Same 4:55 | 70 |
5 | Wist 2:40 | 70 |
6 | Big Hollow 5:30 | 80 |
7 | Heading Home 3:57 | 60 |
8 | Someway 4:30 | 80 |
9 | See, Know 5:04 | 70 |
#13 | / | Piccadilly Records |
#16 | / | Slant Magazine |
#19 | / | Time Out New York |
#32 | / | The Skinny |
#34 | / | musicOMH |
#34 | / | The Quietus |
#39 | / | Tiny Mix Tapes |
#40 | / | The Line of Best Fit |
#60 | / | Gorilla vs. Bear |
#64 | / | Earbuddy |