4/7 Holly Miranda @ Iota Cafe, Arlington, VA 6/07/15
Channel: wojo4hitz
Date: 10/06/2015

The first change to notice on Holly Miranda’s new self-titled album is how her sweet, mournful voice has grown fuller and more present than before. Nowhere is this more apparent than on “All I Want Is To Be Your Girl”, which has her plaintively suggesting “we could fuck in the sun and dance till dawn” over a carefree rock instrumental. With each of the 11 tracks, Miranda sings into new territory, whether it’s over an upbeat rocker, the breezy electronics of “Pelican Rapids,” or the smooth Motown-inflected ballad “Everlasting.” She handles each stylistic detour gracefully, her silky coo overdriving into a throaty belt only when necessary. Volume has never really been Miranda’s M.O., however, and some of the album’s most precious moments billow rather than barrage, such as the gorgeous “Heavy Heart.” The songs were written during a retreat in spiritual desert town Joshua Tree, casting an existential hue over the tracks and putting them in stark contrast to Miranda’s most recent project, supergroup The Singles. It’s a therapeutic record with an adventurous streak, and you can stream it in its entirety over at The New York Times.