Album Review: Austra - Olympia

Austra
Olympia
Rating: Grrrr

Canadian electronic act Austra arrive in 2011 with an intriguing debut record Feel It Break, featuring the classically trained operatic vocals of Katie Stelmanis, which set them apart from a lot of emerging bands. While I liked the album a lot, especially the throbbing first single "Beat and the Pulse," the rest of the record felt a little too rigid and cold, interesting sketches that needed to be filled out more. With new record Olympia, Austra feels a little looser and engaging, putting forth a collection of songs that are still cerebral but also feel like the band is having fun, and not putting forth some clinical project. Stelmanis' vocals, which are a formidable instrument, work with the tracks instead of against them; too often on Feel It Break they overtook the music, creating a harsh conflict.

Glitchy electronic rumblings form the basis for lead track "What We Done?" as dark synths and flutes rise from the murk, each new element adding forcefully to the track as Stelmanis' piercing vocals reign over it all. When the beats kick in, the track takes on new life, with all the elements coming together under synth swells.



There is a lightness and airiness to the production this go around which adds better flow and pacing to the record, more traditional percussion and analog instruments add to this effect. And the tracks are definitely more dancefloor oriented this go around. While there were some danceable tracks on Feel It Break, for the most part they were more atmospheric than beat driven. Here, you get the playful bounce of "Painful Like,"



the sultry throb of "Annie (Oh Muse, You),"



and the bright synth lines, bass wobbles, and strings of "Forgive Me."



But there are many more exquisite tracks on Olympia that focus less on the dancefloor and more on atmosphere and texture. Album highlight "We Become" is a striking midtempo track drawing from reggae and Balearic music, casting a lovely, lilting sense of loneliness and aching to the album, Stelmanis' vocals absolutely heartbreaking in its tenderness.



While several tracks highlight Stelmanis' amazing vocal chops with the music almost incidental to her war cries, like the steady build of "You Changed My Life,"



the angelic choir of "Hurt Me Now,"



or the deep electro pulse of "Sleep," with Stelmanis focusing on her lower registers as the music whirls around her.



Olympia builds off the foundations of Feel It Break and gives new life and trajectory to Austra's sound. The tracks don't feel isolated from each other, but work off one another, breathing with life and energy. The addition of more traditional instruments and warmer analog synth sounds also helps create a fuller, more inviting set of tracks. Olympia is an excellent step in the right direction for this up and coming act; definitely check it out.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.