Sara Ayers -- Sylvatica -- Dark Wood Recordings, 2000 [Last Sigh Magazine]

1. Winter and the Sound of Nothing
2. Sylvatica
3. Starless
4. Flight
5. 21 Years
6. Falling Silent (Crushing Mix)
7. Are You Coming Home?
8. Lachrymatory
9. Soundtrack to Angel #3 (Excerpt)
10. Dream of Noise
11. Of the Woods

    Sara Ayers recorded her debut full-length album, "Flourochrome," in 1985. Twelve years later she followed up with "Voices." Now Dark Wood Recording has released "Sylvatica," a technologically and sonically stunning CD of electronic pop.
    The aptly titled first track, "Winter and the Sound of Nothing," is filled with sparkling crystalline tones that captivate the ear the way morning sunlight catches icicles in barren trees. The title track is a truly magical piece-It is the sound of Nature breathing. Many of the compositions here are purely instrumental, but several feature Ayers’ enchanting voice.
    Whether vocalizing wordlessly, or singing her imaginative poetic lyrics, Ayers’ voice is angelic. It is a fanciful voice of faerie folk. It is also the voice of power. "Are You Coming Home," for example, is a breathtaking combination of whispered words, celestial choruses, and sudden shrieks. Ayers explores, and then fully utilizes, the potential of her voice throughout the CD.
    Sara Ayers’ "Sylvatica" is a gorgeous, transcendent set of heavenly musical arrangements that both soothes and stimulates the senses.