Why would anyone call a song Jolene? It’s not exactly a common girl’s name, and any girl called Jolene is likely to be – rather unfortunately, if you think about it – named after the Dolly Parton song. Nevertheless, former Sister of Mercy Andreas Bruhn did it on his ‘Broon’ album, and now we have White Blush featuring a Jolene on her eponymous debut EP.
White Blush is LA-based Carol Rhyu, who draws reference and influence from old horror films, minimalist pop, and Julee Cruise, to weave a tapestry of ‘Dream Pop / Indie / Electronica’. In fairness, ‘Jolene’ isn’t bad, and the EP does also feature another six tracks of sparse synths and whispy vocals. ‘True Luv’ sounds like a cross between something from the first She Wants Revenge album and Cranes gone electro. It does have pop leanings, but the atmosphere is decidedly dark: think very early New Order and other acts on the Factory roster in the early 80s like ACR and you’re on the right track.
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‘Wait’ is particularly minimalist and haunting, Rhyu’s vocal’s spine-tinglingly evocative as they float through a thin wash of synth in a haze of brittle reverb before being carried away on the mesmeric swampy pulsations of ‘808 Mist’. The final track, ‘Juice of My Heart’ is propelled by a sturdy beat and sonorous bass, which leaves Rhyu sounding even more fragile and lost and rounds off an extremely appealing release.
White Blush Online
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