It Doesn’t Have To Be A Certain Way

Zizi Raimondi “Folly Dolly”

Zizi Raimondi is a bit tricky to figure out. The music on her Bandcamp is all over the place – sleepy indie rock, synth kitsch, extreme lo-fi weirdness, Casio replicas of classical music, and faithful, beautifully sung renditions of jazz standards. And all of this, from the most primitive work to the most accomplished performances and compositions, has been released between late August and last week. This could be years of work being put on the internet in a random order, or maybe it’s the chaotic and eccentric workflow of a very busy and restless talent. I have no clue. But it’s fascinating, and “Folly Dolly,” the A-side of her most recent single, is one of the best and most interesting rock ballads I’ve heard in a while.

“Folly Dolly” is a very Lou Reed sort of song with a gentle groove and lyrics that sketch out a romantic entanglement that hasn’t quite started to tangle just yet. The narrative of the song is ambiguous, with the lyrics shifting between first, second, and third person perspective. Who is this woman she is describing? Who is this person she’s addressing? Raimondi’s breathy, yearning vocal and the shift to first person in the end suggests a frustrated, unrequited love triangle.

Buy it from Bandcamp.