EP: Johanna Glaza – ‘Albion’

Lithuanian born singer-songwriter Johanna Glaza follows the release of her debut album with her newest EP Albion. A cold and frightening exploration into the psyche of the writer.

Opening with titular ‘Albion’, it is an eight-minute epic driven by the voice and soul of Glaza. Focusing for the most part on piano as the instrument of choice, it marries up with the intent of the song and allows for further exploration of vocal range. It sets the tone as something of a beautiful, if slightly warped, creation allowing an experience both harrowing but beautiful as its namesake.

This is juxtaposed greatly by the next track ‘The Future is Not The Animal I Saw’. A short and sharp one-minute electronic shock to the system. It succeeds in breaking up the piano-driven songs and provides the listener with a quick change of pace. This furthers the  sense of unfamiliarity and similar to the stylings of bands like Public Image Ltd.

As third track ‘Isabella’ kicks in, there’s a worrying move to an up-beat direction. The distorted piano adds a nightmarish quality to the track, it seems so upbeat in contrast to the rest it unnerves the audience. The birthday-centric nature of the lyrical themes re-enforces its unsettling nature. It feels like a nightmarish children’s party and is brilliantly warped.

Finally, it’s closed out by beautiful track ‘Broken Ray’. The track, with its minimal instrumentation, showcases Glaza’s vocal range. Holding notes of a soaring pitch and for a truly exceptional length of time. As the song builds to its crescendo, the faint murmurs are left in the ears of the listener and leaving the them close to awe.

Johanna Glaza has drawn us into her uniquely warped world. Merely through the use of piano and intense vocal delivery she creates a stunning world that draws the listener into the beautifully created surroundings. Although far from everybody’s cup of tea, those who experience this will be truly moved by it.