ALBUM REVIEW: SHOLI – SHOLI

ALBUM REVIEW: Sholi – Sholi
words: Jamie Milton

Some wise guy once said that you should never judge a book by its cover. Sure, most book covers do nothing to excite me but what’s lurking inside can be much more enticing. But with albums, so far this year we’ve been given a pretty justified indication of how a record sounds, just by peering into a record store. With Animal Collective’s ‘Merriweather…’, we were drawn into something unearthly, hypnotising with the cover’s optical illusion. And Antony’s ‘The Crying Light’ invited us in with its spirited, haunting cover image and what we found through our speakers was something similar.
With Sholi, we’re gifted with what’s easily the best artwork for quite some time. Michael Aghajanian’s shot of a rubbish bin scattering flowers, catches the eye in an instant. It suggests beautiful chaos. And with Sholi’s debut, again, the music lives up to the cover.

A supposed blend of Persian and free jazz influences isn’t something you come across every day. And whilst much of Sholi’s sound could be casually linked to a dozen other acts, you still pinch yourself occasionally, a little overwhelmed at just how original the output of this record is. ‘Spy In The House Of Memories’, when in full speed, lets rip a doom-gloom post-rock attitude, akin to a modern day Mogwai. And a stripped-down, closing minute of ‘Out Of Orbit’ sounds so much like the Mystery Jets you ask yourself whether it’s worth checking the album credits. But the end product is entirely unique.

See, you might think at first that Sholi’s music can be pigeonholed within half of your time. But each listen, each track even, lets loose another missing piece to the puzzle.  Different segments to each song are there to thwart you, to confuse you until you finally find a resting place with the album. Once settled, you can fully immerse yourself in the gruesome guts of this debut.

The guts could easily spread into something distasteful, nasty. Put simply, Sholi’s debut could be a total mess were it not for two prime elements. Those being the notably skilled drumming of Jon Bafus and the gluey grip of Payam Bavafa’s vocals. Element 1 is exhibited instantly in opener ‘All That We Can See’, with Bafus’ unrestrained drumming contrasting drastically to the succinct monosyllabic voice at the forefront.  The track sounds fitting for the closing scene of a film, seeing through an explosion of sorts, you can picture it placed behind the image of flames, debris, the aftermath of something chaotic.

Bavafa’s contribution varies. Either the band put every effort into an instrumental frenzy or Bavafa takes complete control, guiding his companions’ every move. In smooth closer, ‘Contortionist’, he sounds like a professional, delicate tones sit beside the jerky, high pitched guitar work. Whereas in ‘November Through June’, when it finally gives in to the urge of letting rip, his frantic vocals are merely just a part of everything around him, acting as the base behind the other contributions.

Frankly, it’s beyond remarkable how easily you move through each of these lengthy tracks. Each adds a different shade to the whole picture, combining colours like you’ve never seen before. Equally remarkable is the record’s ability to keep you hooked, almost fearful of what awaits. When ‘Contortionist’ finishes, that’s the only time you experience disappointment in what’s handed to you. To keep coming back to Sholi’s debut is no task. If it is, just let the cover image lure you into this phenomenal journey once more.

9.1

mp3: Sholi – Out Of Orbit (zshare)

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