Clara Engel is based in Toronto, Canada. Her work has been described as “Folk-Noir” or “minimalist holy blues,” and who am I to disagree? This takes the best elements of neofolk, stripped-down to just voice, cigar box guitar, electric guitar, melodica and harmonica, and it sounds like a rare self-pressed release worth thousands one could find on eBay, but living up to the hype.
Clara’s voice is a perfect match for the ethereal music supporting it. I have a feeling those who like the folkier elements of Current 93, Nick Drake, Shirley Collins and 70’s progressive folk are going to find this to be quite a treat.