Dance to Your Shadow

by Zac JohnsonContemporary harpist Kim Robertson's Dance to Your Shadow finds the musician delicately balancing her soothingly familiar new age compositions with newfound gentle folk-pop flourishes. Reminiscent of Loreena McKennitt and Enya's unique blend of fragile emotive vocals and rich instrumentation, Robertson's gentle but powerfully evocative Celtic harp is partnered with vocal layering, guitar, percussion, and strings. Her instrumental compositions (like the harmonica-fueled "O'Keefe's Slide" and the opening track "Morning Dew") seem to be slowly moving aside to make room for more vocal pieces (like the pulsing and rhythmic "Not My Plaid" and the subtle title track). This is by no means a bad thing, as Robinson's slight breathy voice often slips into her songs almost unnoticed, acting as yet another lush instrument in the mix. Recommended for fans of well-crafted, starkly orchestrated new age music with a warm pop sensibility.