Julia Holter – Aviary

Aviary is the fifth studio album by American musician Julia Holter, released on October 26, 2018 by Domino Records. The album title comes from a line in a short story by Etel Adnan: “I found myself in an aviary full of shrieking birds”. The album explores the themes of memory, noise, and the chaos of the mind in a turbulent world.

The album consists of 15 tracks, spanning 90 minutes of music. The songs feature a variety of instruments and styles, such as chamber pop, electroacoustic, experimental rock, and medieval polyphony. Holter’s vocals range from ethereal to operatic, often layered and harmonized. The lyrics are influenced by poets such as Sappho, Dante, and Frank O’Hara.

The album was recorded at Holter’s home studio in Los Angeles, with the help of her collaborators Kenny Gilmore and Cole MGN. The album also features contributions from the London Symphony Orchestra and bagpipe player Tashi Wada.

The album received critical acclaim from music critics, who praised its originality, creativity, and emotion. The album has an average score of 87 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 25 reviews ². Pitchfork called it “the most joyous, daring realization of her experimental tendencies yet” ².