by David Wilikofsky
As a child who wasn’t particularly internet savvy, the public library was a vital source of musical discovery for me. With only my library card I was able to access everything from early PJ Harvey albums to musique concrète by Tod Dockstader. It’s something that I have in common with Mia Rocha, the musician behind the musical project Mia Joy, who received a musical education via her library card. For Rocha, this meant listening to everything from Brian Eno to Krautrock to dream pop. Echoes of these artists and more flicker through her debut album, Spirit Tamer; it’s an album that references the past while staying firmly rooted in the present.
Rocha says she wanted this album “to be like a friend you’re going to in a hard time,” and I think she’s largely succeeded. Spirit Tamer sounds instantly familiar and comforting, almost like wriggling into favorite sweatshirt. That sense of familiarity comes from references to other artists peppered throughout; I hear hints of the Cocteau Twins in some of her guitar tones, Björk’s vocal experimentation in interludes like “Spirit Tamer” and “Candle Prayer”, and Grouper’s gauzy textures throughout. There’s obviously a fine line between reference and pastiche, but Rocha strikes just the right balance. There’s just enough of these moments to activate your nostalgia, but they never overwhelm her musical vision.
Comforting is really the word I keep coming back to again and again when thinking about Spirit Tamer. Although Rocha’s pop instincts shine through on many songs (“Ye Old Man”, “Haha”, “See Us”), there’s a nocturnal, foggy atmosphere that envelops the whole album. Rocha’s lyrics tend towards abstraction, and as a vocalist she draws out her words so much they become sounds as much as language. You’re left with soundscapes that slowly mutate before you eyes, moving with ease between pop structures, glistening vocal experimentation and pure ambience. As of late I’ve been throwing on this album and getting lost in its gentle, ever shifting sounds; I highly suggest you do the same.