Rating:
Genre:
Electronica
Release Date: 07/08/2008
Her first album in eight years and her
Warp debut,
Leila's
Blood, Looms and Blooms almost didn't happen: after the release of 2000's moody, murky
The Courtesy of Choice, she lost both of her parents and, for a long time, her interest in making music. With the encouragement of her friends and family,
Leila returned to the studio and recorded these songs, often with her family and friends -- who include
Terry Hall and
Martina Topley-Bird -- in there with her. While
Blood, Looms and Blooms' very existence is somewhat surprising, it's even more remarkable that this is
Leila's most uplifting work, given the loss that preceded it. Far from wallowing in grief (though that would certainly be understandable),
Leila crafts vivid tracks that cast as much light as they do shadow.
"Little Acorns" is downright mischievous, bouncing along on a good-natured beat as
Khemahl and
Thaon Richardson hum and babble with childlike glee.
Terry Hall's tracks borrow some of
the Specials' forays into woozy, carnivalesque atmospheres:
"Time to Blow"'s winding melody and tumbling keyboards update his unique brand of whimsy, while album closer
"Why Should I Worry," a duet between
Hall and
Topley-Bird, plays like a show tune that's somehow nostalgic and futuristic at the same time. The ominous undercurrents of
Like Weather and
The Courtesy of Choice also resurface, especially on
"Mollie," which opens
Blood, Looms and Blooms with some very uneasy listening: a blippy drum machine beat gives way to dense distortion and huge swaths of atmospheric electronics while skittering percussion and a vaguely Middle Eastern melody lurk in the background, creating an exquisite -- and exquisitely tense -- atmosphere. The only song more massive on
Blood, Looms and Blooms is the wittily named
"Mettle," which, with its giant fuzz bass, lapping water, and guitars corroded with distortion, sounds like an enormous engine pumping at the center of the world. Even the tracks that recall the monochromatic territory of
Leila's previous albums, such as
"Daisies, Cats and Spacemen" (which is sung by her sister,
Roya Arab) and the funky yet dramatic
Topley-Bird showcase
"Deflect," have something unique unfolding at every turn, while
"Lush Dolphins"' playfully darting synth melodies and
"The Exotics"' otherworldly lounge break entirely new sonic ground for her. Well worth the wait,
Blood, Looms and Blooms offers more proof of why
Leila has been hailed by
Gilles Peterson,
Aphex Twin, and
Björk since she started making music.
~Heather Phares, All Music Guide
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