Zola Jesus, the nom de guerre of one Nika Roza Danilova, was a twenty-something fun-sized coed from the timberlands of Merrill, Wisconsin.
A confirmed Badger when she wasn't making records--or playing the Guggenheim--she read philosophy amid the cheese-headed frapists there in Madison.
Backed by a quartet of dudes with their army of synthesizers, she was what The Normal's Silicon Teens would've sounded like if fronted by a fitter, happier, more productive Montserrat Caballé.
Real gothic stuff, for sure, Diane. Well, that's how I used to describe her soundings, anyways.
As for Zola Jesus' newest incarnation here, The Wire's Joseph Stannard writes in Issue 354: "'Fall Back,'" for example, is spellbinding, an open-hearted declaration of devotion whose poignancy is sharpened to a diamond-sharp point by Thirlwell's spacious arrangements."
And indeed, as Ms. Jesus sort of soars over JG Thirlwell (whom Classicalite spotted recently) in his latest arrangement for the Mivos Quartet (violinists Olivia De Prato and Joshua Modney, violist Victor Lowrie and Mariel Roberts on cello), "I would do anything to be the one with you."
Quoth Jesus, herself, to Dummy: "[Fall Back] was originally written for a movie. I wrote it in about 30 minutes. I didn't over-think a damn thing about it. I considered the characters in the film, but truly I was writing about my own pursuit for love. It's about the tunnel vision you get when you know exactly what you want. The song just fell out of me. I've been sitting on it for three years, waiting for an opportunity to allow it to grow to the epic proportions I had in mind for it. The demo was so huge it crashed my computer every time I opened it, so I knew it was meant to live outside the box."
On September 14, (Le) Poisson Rouge and Wordless Music will present Jesus and Thirlwell performing their re-tooled tracks from Versions at Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral.
Right now, anyways, tickets are still available.
Remember the Guggenheim, yes.
