Julia Holter – “Everytime Boots” (Singles Going Steady)

Emmanuel Elone: Julia Holter is a unique singer-songwriter. Her voice and instrumentation are pop-flavored, but her lyrics are as ambiguous and enigmatic as Bob Dylan or Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks. Musically, the track was decent, but what really caught my attention were her lyrics — what does “I go nowhere 20 times” even mean? — and the abrupt ending of the song. Normally, that kind of ending would be annoying, but Holter is such a strange artist that it feels as if she’s making some sort of important statement by ending the tune so quickly that I just can’t figure out. Her mysterious and personable qualities make the song enjoyable to listen to and profound to analyze, forcing me to come back to it over and over. It’s not as delicate and pretty as the songs on her Loud City Song album, but it still is one of the best and catchy tracks on Have You in My Wilderness. [7/10]

Chad Miller: Works slightly better in context of the album than as a single, but it still has a really enjoyable tune, showing great attention to detail when it comes to the backing music. “I go nowhere 20 times” is such a great turning point lyric too. And Julia Holter brings such a perfect presence to this song, churning out such a casual reflection that it’s almost funny. [8/10]

Dami Solebo: Julia Holter’s voice is particularly notable, and I can’t help but draw comparisons with artists like Kate Bush. The song kind of moves a little too much, but is nice. [6/10]

Chris Ingalls: This perfect pop gem gallops along in an upbeat manner that’s in sharp contrast to Holter’s dreamy, gauzy vocals. She certainly knows her way around a killer melody, and when the song takes a drastic turn near the two-minute mark, it’s an unexpected pleasure, complete with piano and strings that seem to have been airlifted in from Van Dyke Parks’ brain. [9/10]

Pryor Stroud: Perhaps rare for a song with “boots” in its title, “Everytime Boots” never touches the ground. It’s a dream-pop confection double-dipped in Holter’s head-in-the-clouds vocals and characteristically bright, pastel-daubed melodic runs. Surreal and carnivalesque, it sounds so whimsical that it at times borders on twee, but salvages itself by focusing on the levity of its atmosphere and Holter’s lyrical ingenuity. [6/10]

SCORE: 7.2