Clara Engel is one of those artists that you feel eternally grateful for stumbling across. The Toronto-based singer-songwriter has been quietly hypnotising listeners since 2004’s Jump Of Flame. 2016’s Visitors Are Allowed One Kiss would be my introduction yet Hatching Under The Stars may just be Engel’s masterpiece. From the moment the delicate instrumentation and Engel’s voice drift in, you know you’re listening to something incredibly special. “I’ve been trying to be brave” begins Engel over the sparse haunted-folk of To Keep The Ghost At Bay. The apparent sadness is balanced with a feeling of hope and a wide-eyed, cosmic sense of awe that permeates every note. It really is beautiful.(louder than war)
