Naima Bock – Below a Massive Dark Land

Naima Bock - Below a Massive Dark Land_FRONT Warm sweater weather arrived and so did the second instalment of Naima Bock’s solo work. So let’s heat up a package of marshmallows and listen in.

Naima Bock, known for her work at the post-punk outfit Goat Girl, has been working on her solo career for a few years now. Her debut was well-received but stayed below the radar. Bock now returns with her second album, Bellow a Massive Dark Land, by which she hopes to step into the spotlight of a very crowded scene.

She wrote her sophomore record in complete solitude and once ready, started recording by inviting various musical friends one by one to work on the music. The result is a collection of rich, carefully crafted arrangements, filled with a hazy warmth and profound and also shadowy beauty. One of the special things about the Brazilian-Greek is the natural cadence of her voice that can feel uplifting or haunting, depending on the song. This sets her apart from the vast majority of today’s folk singers. Obviously, the album’s most beautiful moments are those where Bock’s vocals take centre stage, accompanied by minimal instrumentation. Songs like My Sweet Body and Feed My Release showcase her ability to create a deeply intimate and emotionally resonant atmosphere. The subtle addition of guitars, harps, and horns enhances the music without overwhelming Bock’s voice.

As said, another strong point is the production value. On songs like Kaley and Further Away, verses remain beautifully basic, but are elevated by delicate layers of instruments and bolder compositional touches that even remind of Sufjan Stevens’ or Feist’s work. While these sorts of songs are great on their own, they arguably don’t help the flow of the album. Kaley and especially Age differ from the overall consistency and lead away the attention from Bock’s powerful vocals. On Age, her voice still leads the way, but the sudden bursts of full-band and singalong boldness arrive unexpectedly, which can feel annoying. Alright, Bock keeps listeners on their toes, but if you are looking for that ignorable coffee house sound, this is not for you.

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As you know, calling an album weak because it’s not weak is not for us. Bellow a Massive Dark Land offers just the right amount of sparse-to-energetic waywardness to become interesting. The mix of Belle and Sebastian-like melodies on Take One, that starts out with simple lines but are later boosted by extra instrumentation and a choir, keeps the album rolling on. Goosebumps and momentary standstill are very much present on Lines or the gorgeous Moving. On the latter, the penultimate song of the album, the added horn section feels like a natural closing song, making the real closing song, Star, fade away as an unnecessary exercise.

Despite these minor flaws, Naima Bock’s sophomore album is a beautifully crafted album that showcases her talent as a songwriter and musician. If Bock remains committed to the wayward use of rich arrangements, an award-winning career surely lies ahead for the Glastonbury-born. For the moment, this ideal soundtrack to autumn is a must-listen for fans of thoughtful, introspective music that is still below the radar of the masses, so be there or be square.