Belfast-based artist Ursula Burns showcases the beauty of harp-driven productions on The Secret Melodies of Trees, a display of the artist’s tremendous talents as a harpist and crafter of riveting soundscapes. Revered across a 30-year career with a celebrated nickname of “The Dangerous Harpist,” Burns marks a foray into her uniquely affecting songwriting with the album, whose creation was inspired by a trip to Paraguay.
“It gave me a major perspective in that I don’t really fit in anywhere with my harp,” Burns says of that Paraguay trip. “But that’s beautiful too. And I felt like celebrating the uniqueness of what I’ve worked to create.” The result is an album that proves consistently enveloping in its gorgeous harp playing and range of tones — from the rainy-day lushness within “O’Neill and the Apple Tree” to the effervescent piano-laden radiance within “Cherry Blossom Snow.”
Another standout track, with a fantastic music video as well, “Dreaming in Violet as Jacaranda Petals Fall” is ravishing in its trickling guitar incorporations and gliding harps — resembling the motion of petals falling in their rapid yet graceful descent. The music video is a richly visual accompaniment to the ethereal engrossment. The Secret Melodies of Trees is an immersive achievement from Ursula Burns.
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“Dreaming in Violet as Jacaranda Petals Fall” and other tracks can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Rainy Days and Late Night Drives’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup, as part of the artist’s promotional campaign.
