Sora – Heartwood: Sora’s third release is a remarkable accomplishment because she manages to construct sweet, soft, yet daring arrangements based on Celtic, classical and folk music without sounding over dramatic. Most of this is due to her narrative – folk tales based on the majesty of nature and finding oneself during harsh times – which listeners can easily connect with in some way or another.

Musically, Heartwood is an easy listening affair; but producer/engineer Douglas Romanow has done a wonderful job capturing every nuance of Sora’s airy vocals, the radiant strings sections, and the soft strokes and plucks of guitar, mandolin, glockenspiel and piano. All these organic instruments lead to a very picturesque vibe that sedates you to the point where you can dream the lyrics.

While this is a good start for Sora, I couldn’t help but imagine what she might sound like if she ventured into darker territory with more percussive instruments and some electronic build-ups. Still, fans of Lisa Gerrard or even Josh Groban should give Heartwood a good listen. (Rawlco Radio)

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