Zola Jesus' Nika Roza may have named her sixth album after the Slavic word for shackles, but more often than not, Okovi is a reminder that not all ties are bad. To release the album, she returned to her longtime label Sacred Bones after her bid for mainstream success, Taiga, appeared on Mute; likewise, she moved back to Wisconsin and built a home near her childhood treehouse after a stint in Seattle. It's not surprising, then, that Roza also revisits the sounds of her earliest work on Okovi. The penetrating vocals and ...
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Zola Jesus' Nika Roza may have named her sixth album after the Slavic word for shackles, but more often than not, Okovi is a reminder that not all ties are bad. To release the album, she returned to her longtime label Sacred Bones after her bid for mainstream success, Taiga, appeared on Mute; likewise, she moved back to Wisconsin and built a home near her childhood treehouse after a stint in Seattle. It's not surprising, then, that Roza also revisits the sounds of her earliest work on Okovi. The penetrating vocals and rattling beats of songs like "Exhumed" and "Wiseblood" are classic Zola Jesus, calling to mind Stridulum and The Spoils. Crucially, though, she's not just rehashing the past with any of these moves. Instead, she sounds revitalized and inspired to express -- and fight against -- real-life struggles that include her own depression as well as those close to her surviving suicide attempts and cancer diagnoses. The results are some of her most beautiful and empathetic songs yet. More than ever, the darkness and light within Zola Jesus' music support each other beautifully: Roza begins the album with "Doma," a luminously warm track that feels like a candlelit prayer or spell of protection. By contrast, she embodies utter hopelessness on "Soak," the tale of a woman who chooses to drown herself rather than be murdered. As dark as Okovi gets, however, it's filled with compassion. The ethereal strings that grace the album add to the special, sacred feeling of tracks such as "Half Life," while Roza's voice sounds powerful enough to lift anyone up from suffering on the gorgeous "Witness" and "Siphon," where her layered vocals sound like an army of angels as she sings "Won't let you bleed out/Can't let you bleed out." The realness of songs like these makes Okovi more accessible than Taiga's polish, especially when Roza transforms her concerns about mortality into seize-the-moment anthems like "Veka" and "Remains," both of which reaffirm that dancing is one of the best ways to exorcize pain. A deeply comforting album, Okovi is some of Zola Jesus' purest-sounding, most profound music in years. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi
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Add this copy of Okovi to cart. $3.90, good condition, Sold by Warner Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Girard, OH, UNITED STATES, published 2017 by Sacred Bones.
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Seller's Description:
Good. No packaging as issued. Originally released: 2017. Ex library copy. (WB) Moderate wear on CD/Case. Typical library, stampings, markings, stickers etc Please note CD Case is not the typical jewel case, but a heavy duty plastic jewel case!
Add this copy of Okovi to cart. $13.10, good condition, Sold by HPB-Emerald rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2017 by Sacred Bones.
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Good. Providing great vinyl and media since 1972. All used records are inspected and guaranteed. May have wear and minor issues from previous owner. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Okovi to cart. $19.08, new condition, Sold by Importcds rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Sunrise, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2017 by Sacred Bones.
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Danilova. New. New in new packaging. USA Orders only! Brand New product! please allow delivery times of 3-7 business days within the USA. US orders only please.
Add this copy of Okovi to cart. $22.74, new condition, Sold by newtownvideo rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from huntingdon valley, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2017 by Sacred Bones Records.
Add this copy of Okovi to cart. $26.08, new condition, Sold by Importcds rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Sunrise, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2017 by Sacred Bones.
Add this copy of Okovi to cart. $29.43, new condition, Sold by newtownvideo rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from huntingdon valley, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2017 by Sacred Bones.
