Reawakening from her hibernation, singer Chelsea Wolfe released “She Reaches Out to She Reaches out to She” on Friday, Feb. 9. Following in her footsteps from albums such as “Abyss,” Wolfe doubles down on the futuristic sound that correlates with the soundtrack of Cyberpunk 2077, appealing to most of her young-adult fanbase except those who know her for her simple acoustic songs. Her singing itself is fairly standard for an album with goth vibes, but her voice is both elevated and tarnished when layered over the trendy soundscape of a digital dystopia.
“Whispers in the Echo Chamber” introduces the listener to a defiant Wolfe harmonizing over the spooky instrumental, throwing the listener into an environment undoubtedly influenced by Billie Eilish’s “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?” before transitioning into a cacophony of guitars and noise, held together by her repeating “more.” The combination of her whispered vocal delivery and the fact that this record is also put together by a singular electronic producer, David Andrew Sitek, makes the resemblance between Wolfe and Eilish uncanny. Eilish, and Joji, among other artists comparable to Wolfe during this era of her career are much younger and less experienced, yet they can achieve far more with far less sonically.
Wolfe is never really present in “House of Self-Undoing” as the drum backing takes priority, until the last minute when her vocal range is put on display, ending with a quiet dissolution and repetition of a phrase once again. The following track fails to offer more but a statement and a question: Her voice is ethereal as it is; does she need echo and distortion to be plastered on her every utterance? That may be an exaggeration, but it would be preferable to have no vocal effects at all, based on the passion felt in her voice from her 2012 hit “Flatlands.”
“Tunnel Lights” starts off very promising with disjointed piano chords, and only gets better once it is evident that trip-hop influences this record. Wolfe’s crooning shines using this minimalist approach to production that draws inspiration from 90s acts including Portishead and Massive Attack, allowing her singing to stand out and not blend into the mix. It can be argued that the song fails to progress anywhere notable as with the previous tracks, but did it have to? The length of the song did its job of being cathartic and calming, evidence of the idea that not every song created in the vein of electronica needs to contain the repetitive and popular structures found throughout this album and radio at large.
The alternating of a jingling bell, unpredictable bass and Wolfe’s murmurs all compete for the listener’s attention in “Eyes Like Nightshade.” The song may sound overwhelming at first, yet it manages to capture an uptempo ASMR-like experience. Ironically, she has posted full-fledged ASMR renditions of a handful of songs, including the opening song on this album, which is more enjoyable than the studio version! Anyway, the topic of rest comes into play with the refrain: “I am flying in my sleep,” lending to the notion that you should put this song on a sleep playlist if it works for you.
“Salt,” another piano-backed track reminiscent of FKA Twigs in her prime, varies between confident and quiet vocal performances, all the while giving a vibe comparable to a late night at the beach. Considering the upward trajectory of this review, this album possesses the rare characteristic of getting better as it goes on. Not being front-loaded makes the latter half of this record much sweeter, notably when humanity starts to escape from the very digitally-produced tracks, such as in “Unseen World.” Sporting a tribal atmosphere with the rhythmic banging of a drum, the track progresses exceptionally with swirling strings and a banging melody. Disparate from the stagnate sound of the first few tracks, this one shows that everything criticized thus far can sound exceptional if used in small doses to heighten the stake of the song incrementally.
This sentiment is also true for the woozy and mechanical “Dusk,” spontaneously exploding into a bombastic show of guitar distortion that unfortunately drowns out Wolfe’s voice, although it still hits due to the sudden change in dynamics. The songwriting also hits a climax in this finale, describing the mutual dependency of two lovers harrowingly separated by their crumbling empire. While it suffers from similar problems that plague the rest of this album, it is a strong finish.
Although Wolfe has been in the game far longer than her contemporaries, leaping into music in 2006, she may be hitting a creative wall that is preventing her from pushing the envelope any more than others making similar music. Nonetheless, the standout tracks are phenomenal, while around half the tracks are just acceptable.
Rating: 3.25/5