Orenda Fink

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Orenda Fink

I have to admit, I've been ignoring one half of Azure Ray for the other, but it's about time I give Orenda the attention she deserves as well. Her only solo album, 2005's Invisible Ones, is quite a departure from her material with Azure Ray, where for the most part, her songs seemed to be the sleepier and more subdued of the duo. The album has a very tribal feel to it (in fact, according to her MySpace, the songs were inspired by trips to Haiti, Cambodia, and India where she was drawn to the spirituality and mythology of their cultures) with a healthy dose of slightly spooky chanting, throbbing and pulsing drum beats, and of course, the most important instrument - that sultry and soothing voice, plain yet distinctive, breathy yet strong. Overall, it veers in a more experimental (and, yes, more upbeat) direction, showing her strength and growth as a solo artist outside of her musical partnership with Maria Taylor.

Here are a few of the standout tracks, for me, from Invisible Ones. "Bloodline" is pretty much the complete opposite of any of her Azure Ray material, extremely catchy, even danceable. "No Evolution" melds together the catchy and the experimental with a bit of help from those tribal-sounding drums and background vocals. And lastly, "Easter Island" is sparse and haunting, with a focus on the vocals and lyrics.

• Bloodline
• No Evolution
• Easter Island

Also, as a taster of what Orenda's up to these days, here are a couple tracks from her current band, Art in Manila. The songs have more of a general indie-rock sound, but still maintain a bit of quirkiness and a lot of catchiness, along with her voice sounding stronger and more commanding than ever. Their debut album, Set the Woods on Fire, will be released through Saddle Creek on August 7th.

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