'Sister' Review: Ultraísta mark their return after eight years with a sparkling, organic, pulsating masterpiece
The band Ultraísta can trace their roots back to one of the greatest alternative rock supergroups to ever walk the earth. When the Radiohead frontman, Thom Yorke, decided to form a side project as a backing band for his creative solo endeavors, the band Atoms for Peace was born in 2009. It consisted of many talented members such as bassist Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, longtime Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich on keyboards & guitars, drummer Joey Waronker from Beck and R.E.M., and percussionist Mauro Refosco of Forro in the Dark.
Then in 2010, when Godrich and Waronker decided to rope in the talented singer-songwriter Laura Bettinson aka FEMME, the three-piece Ultraísta was finally completed. The outfit's name derives from the Spanish literary movement ultraism, and the band themselves admit that the project was "conceived from a love of afrobeat, electronica, art & inspired by tequila." Their self-titled debut album, 'Ultraísta', was released in 2012, and earned praise for their moody brand of experimental, synth-heavy pop.
Fast forward eight years, and the trio have now come out with another full-fledged, fidgety, feral masterpiece. Titled 'Sister' their 9-track sophomore album via Partisan Records seems to retain a lot of the krautrock-influenced rhythms of its predecessor, while imbuing their sound with a whole new palette of textures and colors. Interestingly, Bettinson seems to have grown more confident and judicious in using her lilting voice as an instrument this time around, choosing the moments where it gets to command the listener's attention and sit comfortably at the forefront of the mix. It's a welcome contrast and sign of the group's progressive evolution, when compared to their previous songs where Laura's voice would often blend, swirl, and sometimes get lost in the heady mix of Ultraísta's first album.
Right from the mesmerizing, skittering album opener, 'Tin King', we're pulled into a world that resembles a seething, bubbling, melting pot of unthawed emotions. The track 'Harmony' resembles a retrowave song being kicked into high gear, with Bettinson delicately and defiantly reiterating "I don't need people in my life." This theme seems to leak into the next track as well, with the pulsing string arrangements of the brooding 'Anybody' perfectly complementing the morose lyrics - "If you want to go, then please don't stay... If you want to bow out, I won't get in your way."
'Save it til Later' is a swelling, building, space-age groover, and one of the stand-out tracks on the album. The discordant 'Ordinary Boy' with its plinky rhythms and evaporating vocals is another experimental synth stunner, as Laura croons, "It's in your heart and your head, and in your eyes so red... Before you could ask / You lost all of your friends in the dark / The ending has a start." 'Mariella' is a lovely, flowing, atmospheric soother, with some lovely drum 'n' bass elements interwoven with the uplifting synths. 'Water in My Veins' is a ghostly, plaintive message to a demanding lover, with vocals that tersely state, "With every movement I try to set you aside, still I can see your outline."
'Bumblebees' is another delicate, gorgeous number about starcrossed lovers, with samples of birdsong and a melodic bassline vaguely reminiscent of the band members' previous outings with Thom Yorke. The album's closing track, 'The Moon and Mercury' is another album standout, as it spreads its gossamer wings and wanders into Brian Eno territory, with its lush, heavenly synths and subtle, murmuring heartbeat.
All in all, this certainly sounds like an album designed for 2020 and beyond. The dizzying rhythmic patterns, hypnotic loops, motorik beats, atmospheric synths and ingenious samples (like birdsong) found on this new record are a testament to the trio's sparkling, futuristic songwriting craft. We hope to hear more from Ultraísta in the future!