Cellist and art-pop Laura Wolf is readying the release of her new EP Artifacts. We recently wrote about her previous single “Cross Your Mind”, a kaleidoscopic outburst of pop creativity. After only a handful of singles, Wolf has become one of the most interesting up-and-coming figures in art pop. She’s certainly one of the most unique. She combines her training as a classical musician with her love for modern electronic production to come up with cutting-edge experiments in instrumentation. In Wolf’s songs, a cello can end up sounding like a synth and shredded pieces of vocals can constitute a bassline.

Laura Wolf has now released the latest single off Artifacts, “Paravane”. It follows the same guidelines as “Cross Your Mind”, which is to say that it follows no guidelines at all. There is a hyperpop influence to the electronic backbone of the song, though Wolf’s vocals, absent of all artifice, pull in a different direction. The song’s hook comes not as a synth line or a vocal melody but in the form of an eerie sound somewhere in-between a ghostly whisper and the singing of a glass rubbed with a wet finger. At times, “Paravane” sounds like it’s entirely comprised of chopped-up parts of different songs, united only by Wolf’s prodigious imagination. “Paravane” is the sort of song that keeps you replaying it endless times until you have uncovered every little secret. Wolf’s genius resides in that such a moment never arrives; there is always a reason to go back to her songs.

Laura Wolf is a cellist, singer, and producer currently based in Providence. During the pandemic, Wolf started developing her solo career by uploading numerous demos and sketches to Bandcamp. Hers is a peculiar brand of pop music, one that combines glitchy electronica with string and flute arrangements. The fact that visionaries like Kate Bush or Joanna Newsom come to mind should serve as enough praise for Wolf’s songs.

Eclecticism is at the centre of Wolf’s project. She cut her teeth participating in all sorts of musical projects, from rock to classical by way of ambient. By pursuing a solo career, Wolf strives to combine all these myriad influences into lively pop music. And so far she is succeeding. The first song off her new EP Artifacts, “Cross Your Mind” is a perfect example of Wolf’s ethos. The song is brimming with different sorts of arrangements, playing off each other to produce hook after hook. Laura Wolf organically creates an environment where synths can mingle with flutes without sounding jarring. Though there is a sense of melancholy to “Cross Your Mind”, it is disguised by the addictive playfulness of the instrumental. In our current pop climate, a song that evokes sadness without resorting to morose vocals and stark arrangements is a welcome breath of fresh air.