Not gonna lie, I’m impressed with any artist who has the wherewithal to use the sword sanguinaria in a title or song and Toronto-based creative, Clara Engel has the chutzpah to do just that.
Sanguinaria will be out on June 16th and is a 10 song collection about transfiguration and existential longing.
Perhaps what I found most intriguing with Sanguinaria is that in its simplicity, the album is quite complex.
Clara’s soft raspy whisper-like voice is escorted by acoustic and electric guitars, talharpa, gudok, lap steel, melodica, and percussion on the journey of transformation. The instruments ensure that they are not alone, hovering close but never close enough to grasp or hold onto.
The music floats around Clara’s voice, creating a barrier between their vocals and lyrics, escalating the sense of longing. Within the lyrics, Clara constantly explores change be it through death, “I Died Again” or even metamorphosis “Larvae” and “Estasis Boogie” examines existence and the yearning to connect.
The stand out track on Sanguinaria is the song “Personne”. The low thudding bass is a beautiful pairing to Clara’s voice and lyrics. The trio reverberates with melancholy and loneliness and haunts the listener to the core.
Haunting and melodic, Sanguinaria allows one to rise above the quiet gloom and see that change is a part of this circle of life we all live. Whether the change is personal, spiritual, political, or something higher, carving out an existence to belong is what we all want and do and we do it by growing and becoming the person we are all meant to be.
MUST LISTEN TRACKS: “The Snake in the Mirror”, “Extasis Boogie”, “Personne”, “Deathless”
FAVOURITE TRACKS: “Personne”, “Extasis Boogie”, “Larvae”
