Holly Enjoying rare Tacoma sun in a friend's kitchen. Photo by Janell Marie.

The Weight of Church Bells

In The Weight of Church Bells, Holly Hansen (front-woman for Zoo Animal), takes us on a mindful sonic and picturesque tour of a handful of churches in the Minneapolis area. Her contemplative dialogue, concluded with thematic song, encourages us to examine how we interact with common thought and why.

Hansen’s intimate delivery entices the listener to become vulnerable to the malleability of their own worldview. Touching on subjects like wealth, death, love, and wrath, Hansen’s interpretation of the sound of ringing church bells implies a heavy weight of personal and cultural symbolism. The question that hangs in her voice can feel worrisome, as you can’t quite tell if she is asserting or questioning the words she speaks.

The sonic accompaniment to the visions of churches and their surroundings push the listener to think about how they have aged, and how their current worldview was shaped, whether passively or actively. Her intimate delivery reveals an appreciation for the history of her own beliefs, while remaining critical of passive acceptance. It appears to be some of the most personal and conflicted work created by Hansen, subtly bearing more about herself than her historically cryptic lyrics.