Positive it could possibly; I’m an affordable listener, however extra necessary is that Ols approaches her music with the type of expertise and confidence you’d usually count on from a a lot bigger group of musicians. From the primary second of opener “Pustacie,” (“Empty Lands”) when layered vocals solely carry the music right into a ritualistic trance, it’s clear that Olchawa is aware of precisely what she’s doing. Gentle percussion and flutes present up shortly after, however the vocals are the speedy stars of the present. Pustkowia is a closely vocal-driven album, with layers upon layers of singing, chanting, and even easy respiration whisking the listener away as far-off as their minds can go. That the entire singing is in Polish is a superb function in case you occur to not communicate Polish—the incomprehensible, stunning wall of emotive singing sounds all of the extra highly effective for not having the ability to decipher it in any manner.
It truly is wonderful how a lot Ols can accomplish with solely her voice, a handful of conventional devices, and what I can solely describe as a unbelievable expertise for songwriting. “Głosy” (“Voices”) is a superb instance of the type of fast-paced, thrilling, and memorable issues you are able to do with this fashion, with its refrain particularly oozing melody and feeling. “Pustka-Wschód” (“Void-East”) is far more somber, with a distressingly unhappy method to neofolk. It takes its time, permitting singing, flute, and a beautifully-narrated poem in Ukranian because the music’s centerpiece. These are atmospheres that remind me of Eluveitie’s Evocation albums, however with stronger catharses and albeit higher constructions in lots of instances.
In fact, there are devices too, and songs that lean far nearer to steel than others. If I’ve any criticisms to supply, they is likely to be that these may have been included in several methods. “Nie ma światła w oknach” (“There Is No Gentle in These Home windows”) is a uncommon music on Pustkowia that makes use of each electrical guitar and harsh roars, which fits its intense, ritualistic really feel properly. “Auf dieser einsam menschenfernen höhe” is solely instrumental, a way more conventional fashion of people music that helps break up the album in a welcome manner. A part of the explanation it’s so welcome is that the fixed depth of the various, many-layered vocal traces can turn into a bit a lot after some time—it causes some songs to mix collectively a bit, and offers the album a slightly uniform identification, which makes it sound complete, but in addition causes it to sound a bit homogenous at instances. I ought to emphasize “a bit” and “at instances”—you may solely criticize “an excessive amount of of a very good factor” so strongly, in any case.
Ols has launched a really robust album with Pustkowia. It has an genuine, natural, and cathartic really feel to it that solely probably the most earnest music can ship. It’s easy in idea and beautiful in execution. “Ciemniej” (“Darker”) is haunting my desires, and “W zapomnienie” (“Into Oblivion”) is my latest companion for unhappy days. If that is any type of indicator of Olchawa’s expertise, I’ll be diving into her different albums instantly, and eagerly wanting ahead to her subsequent one too.
Ranking: 3.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Pagan Information
Web sites: paganrecords.bandcamp.com | fb.com/Olsproject
Releases Worldwide: October 20th, 2022