Louisa John-Krol, "Ariel." Blue Tree. http://www.louisajohnkrol.com

1. Blackbird
2. Red Balloon
3. Numb the Wren Tear
4. Nobeluis' Garden
5. Beads of Rain
6. The Seagiant
7. Ariel
8. Alice in the Garden of Live Flowers
9. Tale of a Thorn
10. Salamander
11. Anemone Falling
12. Sentinel

Ariel, the spirit-servant of the enchanter Prospero, may be played by
any gender. The spirit may take any form, from a fierce harpy to a
gentle sprite. For Louisa John-Krol, Ariel serves as a spiritual
muse. The album opens with 3 tracks that are almost pure 70s folk-
art-rock, but thoroughly updated: Renaissance produced by Brian
Eno. John-Krol's voice takes on aspects of Anne Halsam's clear
soprano, her stringent mandolin playing lead to the background
texture of electric guitars, bass, drums and electronic effects.
Strings also augment these songs; in particular, the urgently
melancholic "Numb the Wren Tear." This opening triptych is giddily
beautiful and innovative in its mix of instruments—call it Ambient
Folk Rock. The lyrics are whimsical and full of literary allusion;
John-Krol's voice, however, has a passion to it that makes the words
live. The sound is resurrected in the mandolin-mad "Alice in the
Garden of Live Flowers," a song that captures the insane frenzy of
Carroll's imagination. The title track lifts its lyrics from
Shakespeare. It's a delicate as foam on a beach, with gentle chimes
and courtly time signatures. It's a sumptuous piece of music, one
that seems to be influenced by Peter Greenaway's image-drunk and
elegant "Prospero's Books." Like the Greenaway interpretation, John-
Krol's Ariel is untamed and lovely. These tracks are bolstered by 3
instrumentals—"Nobelius' Garden" and "Anemone Falling" feature John-
Krol's wordless singing as an instrument, and the electronic elements
come to the forefront. "Tale of a Thorn" is a folk-flavored
interlude. If "Ariel" is incomplete in any way, it is the lack of a
lyric sheet; while John-Krol's lyrics are mostly understandable, they
are so heavily strewn with literary and mythic references that they
deserve scrutiny. But that's a minor quibble; perhaps that's what
the website is for. "Ariel" conjures an incorporeal and timeless
atmosphere.

--Craig