Vèjula

A few years ago, I reviewed Merope’s album Naktės and it remains one of my favourites in something like 12 years of reviewing. Vèjula brings many of the same ingredients I fell in love with and combines them with new ones for an album that shimmers and fizzes with a febrile energy. Merope is a duo consisting of Lithuanian singer and kanklės (Lithuanian zither) player Indrė Jurgelevičiūtė and Belgian guitarist and producer Bert Cools. Americans Shahzad Ismaily, Laraaji and the legendary guitarist Bill Frisell also guest on a few tracks. Ambient drones and spacious synth sounds blend with snippets of kanklės and processed vocals on the opening ‘Koumu Lil’, becoming slightly more rhythmic on the following ‘Nampopi (feat Laraaji and Shahzad Ismaily)’ and finding a more definite form on ‘Lopšinė (feat Bill Frisell)’ with its soft Lithuanian folk chants and interwoven acoustic and electric guitar. Vèjula atomises Lithuania’s sonic past into a headphone-worthy fever dream.