Sacred Bones US Schallplatten & CDs

Review: During the making of Arkhon, her ninth solo album as Zola Jesus, Nika Roza Danilova found herself in the middle of an almost crippling creative block. Listening to the album, you'd never know. Crafted with the help of a small number of hand-picked collaborators (producer Randall Dunn and drummer/percussionist Matt Chamberlain included), it's a confident, ear catching and constantly invigorating set, with Danilova's trademark vocals seemingly soaring above backing tracks that, while rooted in the darker and more atmospheric end of electronic pop, defy simple categorization. Highlights are plentiful, with our picks including the percussion-laden power pop builds of 'The Fall', the alternately dreamy and breathlessly intense 'Into The Wild', the tactile, slow-build opener 'Lost' and heart-aching piano ballad 'Desire'.