Harmonics Of Love

Originally released in 1994, and disappearing shortly thereafter, Harmonics of Love was the follow-up to Sonja Kristina's Songs from the Acid Folk album and is very much a continuation of that set. Topped, of course, by one of the most perfect voices in rock, and built around ten songs that hang exquisitely poised between, indeed, acid and folk, Harmonics of Love is closer in feel to the first couple of Curved Air albums than its predecessors -- "Sounds of Sea/Heart of Glass/Marimbas," in particular, echoes that era. But it's also a fresh start, dipping away from that band's classical prog leanings toward a naturalism that could almost be placed in the new age bag. But only almost, because Kristina's never been one for taking the soft option, and -- the mid-disc lull of "Lullaby/Baby Song" and "Woman's Heart" notwithstanding -- Harmonics of Love comes closer to a wild cross of Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush, without the pretentiousness. Near perfect in its original state, then, the album has been pushed even closer to glory by the six bonus tracks appended to Market Square's 2009 reissue. Opening with a glorious revision of "Melinda More or Less," it then rounds up Kristina's contributions to the Isaac Asimov and Motörhead tribute albums, plus four fabulous tracks by her current band, Mask. All blend ideally with the original album; all will send you scurrying back to the rest of Kristina's catalog. ~ Dave Thompson|