Talking of eccentric souls, Julie Christmas is a Brooklyn born noise rock auteur.  The former lead vocalist Made Out Of Babies, she has made a name for herself on the New York art scene for being an evocative and challenging performance artist. She crossed over into our world in 2016 when she collaborated with Cult Of Luna on the universally lauded “Mariner”. This is her first solo record in 13 years, and you can tell she has taken plenty of learning from her time with the Swedish post-metal titans (as well as coxing their lead guitarist Johannes Persson into her solo band).

“Ridiculous and Full of Blood” is filled to the brim with rhythmic intensity. While song structures fluctuate all over its 42 minutes, at heart of it a never-changing marriage of bass and drums that spur the whole thing forward. Over that consistent foundation, Julie and her band lay out a sprawling tapestry of wears that continually fluctuates in shape and structure. It is simultaneously fragile and vociferous. There is rage and indignation but then it morphs into tenderness and resignation.

It is an emotionally bruising record, literate in his pain and sorrow but also able to hang onto shards of redemption. At the centre is Julie Christmas herself with her distinctive vocal style and fantastically vivid delivery. At times it is more like she’s reciting poetry than singing lyrics and that shifting wordplay makes the album an ever-changing treasure trove of succulent nuggets. Bewildering and equally befuddling this is a unique album that illustrates the power of individuality.

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