LA ethereal songwriter Dol Ikara has dropped her debut EP ‘Obsidian Ritual’, which is now available to stream everywhere worldwide. Claire Roddy aka Dol Ikara is inspired by feminism, gothic + antique imageries, dark fantasies and nature. Bringing her own spin on this subjects, her diverse music streams with originality. She studied music at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and now studies literature in Los Angeles. Driven by her love for literature, the songwriter pours honesty into her tracks easily, like a pen to paper. 

‘Bon Road‘ leads the aesthetic of the EP in a moody direction filled with the gothic approach that we expected. Filled with vocal melodies that will drift you on a cloud to another planet, the production on this number features a rhythmically wonderful drum and bass segment that will linger in your brain. ‘Black Flower’ feels adventurous but it lacks that little bit of energy from the vocals. Featuring huge instrumentation, the adrenaline lacks slightly in this one. It nudges towards the gothic sound of Siouxsie and the Banshees which makes it feel nostalgic for the older days. A strong track that needs that little bit more of an ‘oomph’ to it. 

‘Residual’ slowly builds towards this epic close. Delivering a soulful performance from Dol Ikara, the monochrome nature of this number sets the bar high for it’s expectations. Towards the end of the track, it uplifts to this aggressive section that feels like you’ve woken up the ‘beast’ inside. ‘Sparrow’ is a previously released single that elevates a strong PJ Harvey vibe throughout it’s core. Filled with an identifiable attitude, the track hypnotises you with it’s ability to tell a story. 

‘Idyllic’ drops the tempo with it’s dark nature. Complimenting the vocals with a sinister like chord progression, the honesty through the lyrics in this track are some of the purest on the whole EP. It’s one of the tracks that features light lyrics over a dark atmosphere, creating this opposite effect that makes you feel unsure but wanting more. ‘Stone Towers’ is the last and longest song on the EP. Arranged so the songs direct us through the stages of grief, clarity arises as the EP progresses.  Overall, the EP is fairly dark and if you’re into the moody side of music like me, this will be right up your street!
For fans of; Siouxsie and the Banshees, Mazzy Star & PJ Harvey. 

Score: 7/10

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dolikaradolikara
Website: https://www.dolikara.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dol_ikara/