NYC-based artist Kirsten Agresta Copely enthralls with a beautiful, harp-driven sound across her new album Kuruvinda. “This album emerged from a time of deep introspection, when I reflected on the quiet power of authenticity over perfection,” Copely says. “Kuruvinda is my way of honoring the tender places we usually try to hide—and creating a space where flaws feel not only accepted, but beautiful.” The release is another high-quality showing from Copely, who wowed us in 2023 with the Grammy-nominated album Aquamarine; Kuruvinda retains that album’s lushness, while immersing further into eclectic forays of shadow and light.
“Shadow Light” opens the album with an ethereal, illuminated charm — weaving gentle harp trickles amidst a spacious structural entrancement. “Ratnaraja” follows with a more dynamic, cinematic dynamic, infusing glimpses of orchestral intrigue amidst the steady lushness of the harp playing. The album’s title track arrives thereafter, continuing a gorgeous beginning to Kuruvinda. Hypnotic pulses of harp intertwine with glimmering backing textures, starry-eyed and wonderous in their audible impact.
The album continues to impress throughout, particularly with a track like “Intertwined,” which also features Jessica Meyer and Dave Eggar. Solemn, melancholic emergences of strings contrast with the more fantasy-like caressing of the harps, producing a soundscape that emits an idyllic quality, though also one with looming, foreboding captivation. “Quiet Core” is another standout, emphasizing the harp as a standalone force in its dreamy, heartfelt pull. Kuruvinda is another thoroughly memorable success from Kirsten Agresta Copely.
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“Kuruvinda” is also featured in the genre-based, best-of Spotify compilation Rainy Days and Late Night Drives.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
