Carla Bozulich Releases Her Broken Soul In "Quieter"

When you feel broken, it's hard to find purpose. Many artists struggle with this even once they find success, and it shows in their music. Carla Bozulich releases her broken soul in Quieter, drawing upon lo-fi instrumentals and somber vocals to find reprieve.

The production on Quieter definitely helps the vibe of the album. 'Let It Roll' with Delicate Ear's John Eichenseer and Andrea Balfi introduces the album on a dark note, haunting effected vocals reverberating into something almost evil. 'Stained In Glass' has a similarly scary vibe to it, it's creepy atmosphere accentuated by ghastly vocals and reversed sounds making up the instrumental. Sarah Lipstate features on 'Written In Smoke' which carries another haunting atmosphere, but also a bit of a broken, dejected feel. In that scary place lies someone or something broken and searching for a fix.

Quieter may seem horrifying on the surface, but everything about it really just feels like a broken soul crying out. The scarier tracks are cries of anger, but many of the songs feel like a cry of pain. 'Sha Sha' with The Night Porter Band is gracefully broken, as if to show real fragility. 'Glass House' is more innocent, asking for forgiveness, Freddy Ruppert providing vocals. Even closing track 'End Of The World' with Marc Ribot leaves off on a broken and empty note, as if hope is lost for good. While the songs on Quieter aren't very fulfilling by a replayability factor, they all add up to something meaningful as a whole.

Carla Bozulich releases her broken soul in Quieter, baring all her pain and sorrows into lo-fi, tortured music. Each song individually may not be powerful, but the whole picture they create is beautiful all the same. It's a portrait of a soul looking for something to fix itself.

Favorite Track: Sha Sha

Least Favorite Track: Written In Smoke

Rating: 72 / 100

Stream or buy Quieter on Apple Music, and follow our 2018 Playlist on Spotify: