Leila Abdul-Rauf

Known for her vocal and guitar performances in Hammers of Misfortune, Vastum and Amber Asylum (as well as occasional piano and trumpet contributions), Cold and Cloud is Leila Abdul-Rauf's debut solo effort. The talented multi-instrumentalist brings her keen sense of soundscape construction and sonic textures to the record; it's a misty, ghostly creation rooted in setting and atmosphere. Composed primarily for keyboard, brass instrumentation and voice, the tones don't shimmer so much as sigh — silken sheets of sound stirred by a sentient wind. The sense of movement Abdul-Rauf conjures is airy without being insubstantial, while the atmosphere is positively ectoplasmic in viscosity. The swooning vocals possess a deceptive weightlessness, for while the tone is often light as a cloud, the mood evoked is meteorite-heavy. From the heartrending "Despair From Words Unsaid" to the breathtaking instrumentation of "Ibis," Cold and Cloud is a gorgeous debut.