| Artist |
| Persephone |
| Title |
| Letters To A Stranger |
| Format/Cat |
| CD |
| Label |
| Curzweyhl |
| Style |
| Baroque-inspired Classical |
| Date of review |
| 15th March 2008 |
| Reviewer |
| Carl Jenkinson |
| Rating |
| 8/10 |
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This is the fourth album from the quartet of Sonja Kraushofer (who you'll all know from L'Ame Immortelle, I'm sure), percussionist John Abdelsayed & celloists Martin Hofert, Johannes Kramer (who also plays double bass) & Holger Wilhelmi along with various guests. It's a lavishly-presented, boxed album, complete with pre-raphealite-style cover art that prominently features our heroine in true bodice-busting form (the phrase 'you don't get many of those to the pound' comes to mind!) that sets the scene perfectly for the immaculately-performed music herein & while the closing 'Merciless' does come close to the more rock-based styles that LAI fans know & love (with the finest rock riff you'll ever hear but played on a cello, yes, listen & be amazed!), it's a good deal less aggressive, being instead emotive, melancolic &, in the case of 'Untitled', overtly romantic, sensual & full of barely supressed longing that tugs the heartstrings as it builds into a heartwarmingly beautiful climax. Each of the participants puts in a fine performance with Sonja proving her versaility throughout as she expertly expresses every nuance of the music as demonstrated by 'Mean' where she proves that she could yet make it as a grand diva if she were so inclined while the combination of accordian & tango-like rhythms give the track an authentically Gallic feel that makes this the ideal track to accompany a Beaujolais Nouveau on the Parisian boulevards! So, if you're feeling a bit stressed & want something to soothe your troubles away while engaging your heart & mind in a most agreeable fashion then give Persephone a listen, just don't refer to this as a side-project within Sonja's earshot if you know what's good for you!!
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