Reminiscent of the wordless vocal peregrinations characterizing Elizabeth Fraser's much-heralded work with The Cocteau Twins, Julianna Barwick's first long-player, The Magic Place, is a startlingly beautiful recording that sounds both epic in its aspirations and humble in its approach. Comprised primarily of Barwick's voice overdubbed to infinity and looped to create something approximating Gregorian chant, The Magic Place is full of hidden aural nooks and crannies that flicker forth on repeated listens. While many reviewers are using terms such as "nostalgic" and "soothing" to describe this album, it nevertheless possesses a disquieting undercurrent that borders on creepiness in places; this adds an emotional weight to these otherwise quite ethereal compositions, resulting in a choral-ambient hybrid that steadfastly refuses to unfold quietly in the background.
