What does Elizabeth Vogler sound like?

Mother Earth in primal form, visiting a Bulgarian choir.

The review of ‘Au Nom Deus Asos’ by Elizabeth Vogler

I love it when you stumble across a true hidden gem, and it appears I had the same visceral spark in my heart as Billo Traeger had upon hearing Elizabeth Vogler for the first time. Billo, an underground German record label, discovered her performing in a church and asked if Vogler would consider releasing the session. Elizabeth Vogler went one better and returned to Lescun church to record a six-track performance. It’s Elizabeth’s voice, her harmonium, and the church acoustics. That’s it. It doesn’t need anything else.

In a similar way to how Lisa Gerrard and The Trio Bulgarka command your ears with an otherworldly vocal, Elizabeth Vogler’s voice is unique and captivating. She sings in different dialects, and her powerful styles straddle harsh Nordic folk, Persian scales, and the aforementioned Bulgarian folk singing. Twice in the album, you’ll hear something other than the harmonium and a voice, and the first time is as the album opens. ‘ETH SÓ QUE COPA’ rings out with manipulated church bells before a very gothic-sounding harmonium kicks in. It’s gothic because the song arrangement refuses to let a note stay still. Keys shift and scatter up and down the octave, letting Vogler’s voice bend with it. It’s the most “church-like” of all the tracks on the release, as everything else turns towards different styles of European folk. It truly sets the mood as an intense yet cathartic release.

‘La Mort Du Chien’ is the most Eastern European sounding, and it’s due to Elizabeth’s stunning vocal performance. Just as Bulgarian singers can waver their voice towards a sharp, intense note, Elizabeth can match them. The song, which translates to Death of the Dog, is a painful lament and an outcry of emotions. The dirge-like harmonium adds weight to the space, but it’d be nothing without the presence of such vocal power alongside it. It’s a song that doesn’t follow a traditional structure either, so the four and a half minutes go by so fast. It’s paired with ‘AU LONG DE L’AIGA’, which is elegant and dainty, whilst bridging Persian and Eastern European traditional music traits. The song flips between two chords, letting Elizabeth’s voice and harmonium slowly build up intensity and complexity over time. The church and harmonium room noise is very rustly in the quiet moments, as if there’s rain on the window panes. It’s utterly captivating, and an instant repeat listen.

‘Sous le Phares’ is possibly the most dynamic and explosive performance on the record. After a soft introduction, the bridge has a cascade of notes that makes the harmonium keys and squeezes become a leading instrument. Elizabeth’s voice effortlessly moves from booming power notes to elegant quivers as she works the cascade with the harmonium. It’s a minute of pure sonic bliss. ‘SILENÇÒ’ is a more impassioned, dare I say Latino-tinged piece. Vogler spits through lyrics at a pace, like they’re tumbling uncontrollably from her mouth. The harmonium stays quite still, with power chords or drone notes to let the lyrics create the chaos, making for a very different sound to the rest of the album. The closing title track rings in with a church bell, just like the album opens. This time it’s just a singular toll. A simple three-chord riff leads the majority of the song, and it’s the closest the songs get to traditional English folk. Elizabeth’s lower register gets to shine here, whilst also showcasing her octave-flipping skills.

As you can tell, I am immediately taken by Elizabeth Vogler. This is her second album, and I’m going to instantly track down and buy her debut from 2023. If you are a fan of gothic or Bulgarian folk music in different contexts, then this is a must-listen. What a find. Her donkeys must be the luckiest in the land to listen to this every day.

Recommended track: Sous Le Phares

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