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"Between light and shadow, Auri delivers a third ethereal chapter with “III – Candles & Beginnings,” reminiscent of a musical fairy tale. A delicate sensory experience that will appeal especially to those already familiar with her world."
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4/5
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Since its inception, Auri has established itself as a unique side project, far removed from the glitz and glamour of Nightwish, where Johanna Kurkela, Tuomas Holopainen, and Troy Donockley give free rein to intimate, sensory music. With “III – Candles & Beginnings,” the trio has reached a new milestone: not by changing direction, but by refining their art of storytelling in an atmosphere reminiscent of a timeless clearing.
The beginning of the album has something ghostly, almost vaporous about it. 'The Invisible Gossamer Bridge' unfolds like a scene from a Tim Burton film: mist, evanescent silhouettes, glimmers in the darkness. Johanna's crystalline voice floats between shadow and light, as if coming from a parallel world. 'The Apparition Speaks' and 'I Will Have Language' continue this spectral mood, playing on strange and mysterious textures that leave the listener suspended between fascination and unease.
Then, gradually, light begins to shine through. 'Oh, Lovely Oddities' brings a mischievous charm, before 'Libraries Of Love' opens up a delicately orchestrated, sunny interlude. As the album progresses, the soundscapes become denser: ‘Blakey Ridge’, inspired by a place dear to the band, takes on the air of an intimate memory, while ‘Helios’ rises like an incantation turned towards the sky.
The intensity builds to a climax with ‘Shieldmaiden’, the album's centerpiece, where Auri's evocative power reaches its peak. Finally, ‘A Boy Travelling With His Mother’ closes the album with a long, hypnotic fresco, a true inner journey where fragility and grandeur intertwine. This finale acts as a sensory experience, condensing all the poetry and depth of the project.
This third opus stands out less for its search for contrast than for its spellbinding coherence. Auri has now mastered the art of suggestion: each piece is a sound vignette that sketches a story, a place, an emotion. More than a succession of songs, “III – Candles & Beginnings” stands out as a musical narrative, both ethereal and visceral, where beauty is revealed in the details.
Ultimately, “III – Candles & Beginnings” confirms Auri's uniqueness. It is a finely crafted album, imbued with delicacy and strangeness, which envelops the listener in a sound bubble where time stretches out. But it is also a work that requires abandonment: those looking for immediate choruses or frontal energy may find themselves kept at a distance. Closer to a contemplative experience than a unifying record, this third chapter will appeal above all to those who allow themselves to be drawn in by its vaporous atmosphere and narrative imagination. For others, it will undoubtedly remain a curiosity, beautiful but elusive. - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. The Invisible Gossamer Bridge
 02. The Apparition Speaks
03. I Will Have Language
04. Oh, Lovely Oddities
05. Libraries Of Love
06. Blakey Ridge
07. Helios
08. Museum Of Childhood
09. Shieldmaiden
10. A Boy Travelling With His Mother
LINEUP:
Johanna Kurkela: Chant
Troy Donockley: Guitares
Tuomas Holopainen: Claviers
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(0) COMMENT(S)
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READERS
-/5 (0 view(s))
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STAFF:
4/5 (2 view(s))
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IN RELATION WITH AURI
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