She covers Scandinavian black metal, ‘doom’ finds its way into almost every description of her sound and, last year, she released Apokalypsis. So, when I tell you that Unknown Rooms, a pared-back gathering of nine ‘orphaned’ songs, finds Chelsea Wolfe opening the drapes and, occasionally, locating real joy and directness, you’ll know I’m talking relatively.
Still, the pared-back instrumentation suits her. Opener ‘Flatlands’ may well be her most digestible song to date. Built on hypnotising acoustic picking and a hushed vocal that locates the disturbed side of Natasha Khan, it’s four minutes of magic.
‘The Way We Used To’ features a booming backing and percussive rattle that turns the otherworldy multi-track lead into the kind of sinister choir of angels that harmonise in Tom Waits’ head. ‘Spinning Centers’ soothes the brow and then sends you shivers, as if Chelsea is singing it distractedly down the hallway whilst she brushes her hair. ‘Appalachia’ is another stand-out, bending notes and sliding strings lending an ache to the sound.
From there, Wolfe returns to her ghostly default mode. ‘I Died With You’ is 30 seconds of ‘singer-as-an-undead-clinger’. ‘Sunstorm’ feels like you’re being pursued by an angry piano, whilst the likes of ‘Boyfriend’ can get overbearing.
Overall, however, Unknown Rooms suggests this LA singer is a real songwriter of note. Chelsea Wolfe revels in the darkness, she’s at home in the haunting. This collection should have a place in yours.