MARINA HERLOP - NEKKUJA Vinyl LP

‘Nekkuja’ is a place for Herlop’s warmest, sweetest sentiments to rise to the surface and crack through the topsoil. She describes the record as a way for her to seek and affirm inner light, and it’s undoubtedly her brightest, poppiest statement to date. The forward-thinking, experimental touches that nourished ‘Pripyat’ are still present, but blessed with a level of positivity that’s rare to find in a scene so entranced by darkness and melancholy. Skittering fragments of ornate acoustic instrumentation provide a serene welcome to ‘Busa’, punctuated by precise electronic processes that shuttle the sound towards abstraction and fantasy. Herlop’s voice grows over the tangle of sounds from a childish giggle into a layered, matted mantra, sounding passionate, hopeful and full of energy. The vitality spills over into ‘Cosset’, where she wraps powerful motifs around ricocheting beats and dramatic piano rolls.