The first few seconds of Sora’s 2009 release Heartwood sounds reminiscent to that of an Enya album. But patience is virtue and almost instantly after Sora’s vocals breeze in, you are captivated. The title track “Heartwood,” the first off the album, draws you in with its hauntingly beautiful melody while managing to conjure an image similar to something painted by the Group of Seven. To kick off her brilliant lyrical tirade she begins, “I tread the forests of your eyes. Wild paths within. Dappled sunlight moves us in circle.”

Sora, a native name for “singing bird soaring,” describes perfectly what Calgary’s Celtic Princess is doing. Born Andrea Hunt, the spiritual and narrative singer/songwriter has shifted her focus from folk to Celtic since dropping her debut album, Winds of Change, in 2003.

Calling Heartwood “the core of truths we carry,” Sora explores beginnings and endings in this latest release. She examines the seasons of life, summoning vivid imagery and symbolism. From a melancholic winter on track four crying, “Snow is falling/Darkness falling/Winter’s calling tonight,” to a climatic storm in track 5’s “Hurricane,” each song seemingly reflects an emotional enmity from a past lover.

It’s hard to imagine a mom of four with a husband she affectionately refers to as her heartwood would be consumed with any hatred at all, but like a torrential down pour, the sun always comes out and Sora explores this part of life (springtime) in “Twilight.” She sings, “And I can see in your eyes eternal sunrise/Full of hope, full of love for all our days/As we stand hand in hand to face the winds of time. I can trust in your love for me.” She easily gives John McDermott a run for his money.

Perhaps growing up in a household that shunned Top 40 music, and being partnered with her desire to create art that embodied her Canadian surroundings, were the successful combination of ingredients that created Heartwood. It’s an obscure and alluring Celtic masterpiece.

Track Listing:
Heartwood
Drift
Eurydice
Winter
Hurricane
Light
Twilight
Children of Lir
The Juniper
The Birch’s Lament
Madron Well