Bela Karoli “Furnished Rooms”
The women of Bela Karoli make me think of a very pretty version of the three witches from the beginning of “MacBeth.” These beauties combine every kind of music from Thom Yorke to Sarah Vaugn to Yves Montand for an eclectic, intoxicating brew.
And I’m sure Julie Davis, who fronts the trio, would love the literary comparison. A literature, religion and philosophy scholar, Davis’ influences are as likely to come from the “new arrivals” section at Twist and Shout as they are to be derived from the pages of the Norton Anthology of Literature.
Bela Karoli’s latest release, “Furnished Rooms,” takes its name from an Eliot poem and includes songs set to his poetry as well as that of every lit major’s favorite enigma, Emily Dickinson. But this isn’t just a staid English primer. The album also includes complex, pretty originals by Davis herself and a surprisingly sexy cover of “Old Man River.”
Though this is their first release, the women of Bela Karoli have been working hard in the Denver scene for years. It is great to see such a strong collaboration among the ladies of Denver music, and I hope it inspires more women to step onstage and sing their hearts out about whatever inspires them - be it T.S. Eliot or Courtney Love.