Photo by Siobhan Cox

After almost achieving mainstream success as a member of rock band LITTLE FISH who later morphed into the dreampop combo CANDY SAYS, Anglo-French singer-songwriter Julia-Sophie Walker retreated into DIY music making as a solo artist.

Reconnecting with her Gallic roots, disillusionment with her musical past and the disaster of Brexit artistically drove the Oxford-based musician and producer into creating music for the sake of making music, resulting in two enticing EPs ‘y?’ and ‘</3’ issued respectively in 2020 and 2021. 2022’s ‘it feels like thunder’ EP continued the progression but now comes the long awaited debut long player from Julia-Sophie entitled ‘forgive too slow’. As the title suggests, it is a contemplative body of work as reflecting on past relationships.

Trailing the glorious album is ‘numb’, a marvellous avant pop set piece which begins over a subtle rhythmic rumble with a stark haunted monologue reminiscent of Polly Scattergood’s spoken word contribution to Chris Liebing’s ‘And All Went Dark’. But then the track takes an about turn with a frantic gallop displaying an electronic affinity with independent artists such as EMIKA and VANBOT as sung and spoken passages alternate with the growing intensity.

As our heroine declares “I’ve been crying whilst you’re asleep”, a concluding barrage of unsettling cut-up voices highlights her state of mind. The superb video itself illustrates the fractured narrative as grainy shaky images of the seaside are fast cut to point towards cerebral self-destruction.

While Julia-Sophie’s musical journey remains embroiled in pain, the catharsis is leading to hope and her artistic fulfilment with an intriguing electronic sound that combines emotional unease with airy beauty.

‘numb’ is from the album ‘forgive too slow’ which will be released on 26 July 2024 by Ba Da Bing Records as a baby blue vinyl coloured LP + download, pre-order direct from https://badabingrecords.bandcamp.com/

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Text by Chi Ming Lai
24 May 2024