October is shaping up to be a big month for 22 year old Nika Roza Danilova. Under the pseudonym Zola Jesus, she’ll be appearing on a track on the upcoming M83 album Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, and on October 4th she’ll be releasing her third LP in two years entitled Conatus. For those buying the album digitally through iTunes, “Days Grow Older” will be included as an exclusive bonus track.
The first few seconds of the track begins with what sounds like a mixture of static and drops off water, immediately giving off the sense of hollowness and isolation. Thumping tribal drums kick in, followed by dark piano chords before Zola Jesus sings in her signature operatic style. And if it wasn’t haunting and brooding enough, there are faint vocal melodies that lurk in the background. The structure of the song is kept simple and minimal, but the clarity of her voice and the emphasized instruments make it highly dynamic. This song should give a good hint that the sound of the new album is slowing evolving, while maintaining the dark, gothic aesthetics that she’s known for. “Days Grow Older” is one of the best tracks that she’s written thus far so it’s a shame that this is only an exclusive track and not accessible to everyone.
