Eerie Wanda, aka Dutch/Croatian visual artist and musician Marina Tadic, knows that the power of music often lies in the quietest places.
This, her third album, sees her collaborate with partner Adam Harding and uber-indie legendary producer Kramer. And it’s truly a thing of disturbing beauty, a collection of Lynchian bubblegum nightmares.
Even at its prettiest, it invokes sleepless nights filled with half-recalled fever dreams. Long Time may swoon with doo-wop era melody lines, but it’s not in any way comfortable or reassuring. Think of the late Julee Cruise whispering “now it’s dark” at the intro of Into The Night and you’re halfway there.
Found sounds of nature at its most abrasive weave in and around many of the tracks. Pouring rain, howling wind and the icy blasts of winter resound, augmenting the all-pervasive sense of dread, of cold gnarled fingers tugging frantically at the bedclothes.
On Heaven features just a sprinkling of spectral piano, and Confess is sparse and hypnotic, with the barest throbbing keys reverberating in the shadows.
And the most bold statement of intent, Someone’s In My House, has the unearthly sense of a house clearance, with mysterious faded polaroids. It’s cold pop with a 60s organ, evoking both The Shangri-Las and Broadcast.
In short, it’s beautiful, cinematic and expansive, but you may want to lock all your doors and windows, and then check them all again… just to be sure.