At a time in the world when women are assailed at every turn, their rights threatened by laws, and are denigrated worse than ever by those in the spotlight, it is refreshing to see and hear the plethora of incredible women artists right now demanding to be heard. Either has been an amazing influx of talent to the music scene of late, or underground artists finally coming to the forefront of public consciousness. Although the full arc of Gold and their third album Optimist (Van Records) doesn’t solely rely on vocalist Milena Eva, she certainly dominates the proceedings.
As with many great bands from the Dutch scene, Gold blend an intoxicating potion of post-punk, art rock, psychedelica, spacey post-rock, a hint of stoner-doom, ethereal prog and other layers, Optimist‘s strength is not just the blend of these styles, but the intoxicating delivery of them all. Every song is a musical peak, a well-composed and executed spate of heady jams, intelligent lyrics, and deliberate clues that really speak to the quality of this band. Like a David Lynch film every note, every word is in its perfect place, occasionally jarring; but revealing many lessons that last long after the music ends.
The music here takes many forms and the listener has to give in to let the songs work on your psyche just a bit, but they do get in deep, led by Milena’s incredible range and delivery. Her words and melodic choices cut into your brain and stay there, rooting around a digging up some feelings you may not be ready to confront. A real artist doesn’t just hold up a mirror to life, but they gaze deep instead of the typical reaction to look away from that which they find unpleasant.
The three guitar attack of Thomas Sciarone, Kamiel Top, and Jaka Bolic bring so much to the table on these tracks. Three voices never colliding, but always complimenting each other well. Sometimes is a dreamy shoegazing lead line. Other times it is a wash of dissonant chords over some sparse picking. These moments serve to off-set the balance of the rythem section of Tim Meijer on bass and drummer Igor Wouters who are also incredible, holding it down, especially on the more uptempo tracks. Randall Dunn’s production work is spectacular too.
Most ears are really not ready for tracks like ‘You Too Must Die’, ‘Summer Thunder’, ‘White Noise’, ‘No Shadow’, and ‘I Do My Own Stunts’. These songs, much like the entire album, require repeat spins, and time to seep in, but you will be glad you did. One of the best releases this year so far.
9.0/10
KEITH CHACHKES