On her eerie new album, Prague-based singer-songwriter and producer Sára Vondrášková surrounds herself with heavy synths and reverbs – with great effect.
It’s about two years since we last wrote about Never Sol, and more than four years since our first mention. Over that time, it’s been fascinating to witness the evolution of Sára Vondrášková’s project, as she’s been trying all kinds of different things, getting more and more unpredictable and bold with each release.
“CHAMALEO” is her latest full-length record published a few weeks ago on Supraphon Records. It takes at least a few listens to appreciate it properly, as at first it might seem vague or even boring. It’s actually the opposite. Eerie sounds permeate this album, fragile vocals dissolve in layers of venerable, mostly sleepy synths and ambient-y fogginess (there’s actually a track called “Fog” and another one called “Moving In Sleep”), but it all happens with that special intensity that reveals itself only when you pay attention.
The album is visually accompanied by a series of collages by Never Sol’s friend Michaela Karásková, which are supposed to correspond with the nature of this new material and the way it has come into being. And like this kind of art, “CHAMALEO” gives you plenty of room for interpretations, depending as much on what your ears focus on as on your current state of mind. So each listen might take you into a completely different dream.
Stream “Chamaleo” LP on Bandcamp, Soundcloud and Spotify.
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