Julia Holter might win some, but she just lost one. Actually, I don't know if she just lost it. Her new single "My Lost One," the latest from her forthcoming Materia, doesn't specify when it was lost. The song is minimal and dreamy for most of its runtime, marked by Chris Speed's ambiguous saxophone and breathy whispers from Holter that often resemble incantations. She used the word "witchy" to describe what's going on here, a descriptor that feels ever more appropriate as the song reaches its haunting/soothing conclusion.
"My Lost One" is a witchy folktale inspired by children's books with creepy rhymes and nonsense syllables, trees growing through living rooms, and animals doing things in clothes. I imagine wildlife moving into my home, a superimposition of the outdoors and the indoors. I think about a squirrel cooking a meal on my stove. What are we conjuring, and what are we truly longing for?
Listen below.
Materia is out 8/21 on Domino. Pre-order it here.
