Religious To Damn – Glass Prayer

That Zohra Atash, vocalist and the brains to Religious to Damn’s spiritualistic brawn, once spent time filling in for Jarboe will come as no surprise to anyone upon hearing her gently pained utterings for the first time. The similarities are uncanny, most notably in her shifting twixt world-weary sighs and coquettish naiveté, but also in her peculiarly specific tastes in tone and timing.

Musically, the only connection that may be made is in their similar leanings towards unpredictability, Religious to Damn taking a psychedelic scenic route through gypsy and folk rock, Americana and baroque pop, with melodies that are frequently addictive in their sobriety. Despite the music’s meandering and expansive nature, Atash’s vocals bring the album down to terra firma, making it a thoroughly inviting journey through the aether that is a pleasure to traverse. [David Bowes]