If I haven’t made this painfully obvious in my previous posts, I am an absolute fan of the films and their relationship to music. This is why seeing ‘experimental filmmaker’ alongside the title ‘musician’ made me jump at the opportunity to listen to this album by Holy Matter. Holy Matter is the pseudonym of Leanna Kaiser, a Los Angeles-based psycho-folk, hypnagogic pop, and experimental noise artist co-founded the duo Frances With Wolves before relocating West to venture into filmmaking and make music videos with her creative friends.
Kaiser’s Beauty Looking Back is a cinematic exploration of time, memory, and nostalgia, weaving the past and present into a textured auditory tapestry. Named after a painting by Hishikawa Moronobu, the album captures the cyclical nature of life through rich soundscapes and layered compositions. Tracks like the psych-folk-inspired “Autumn’s Envy” and the hypnagogic pop of “Eve’s Hollywood” beautifully illustrate Kaiser’s talent for creating visuals through sound, where her love for filmmaking and music intersect. Each song feels gentle yet intricate, with textures that evoke shifting seasons, creating a deeply immersive listening experience.
The collaborative spirit of Beauty Looking Back enhances its warmth and depth. Featuring contributions from longtime collaborators and newer voices, Kaiser bridges her St. Louis roots with her current Los Angeles circle. Songs like “The Spirit of St Louis” embody this synthesis, blending classical guitar, 12-string guitar, and violin into a harmonious reflection of her past and present selves. The album’s clarity in concept and its ability to explain those ideas through sound make it a masterful work, effortlessly cinematic and layered with emotion. Kaiser’s ability to translate nostalgia into something universally resonant ensures that Beauty Looking Back is not only an album but an experience.
Written by Nthatile Mavuso
