.... Elva's arresting debut album Ships and Trees is an excursion onto wide, open plains of sparse, minimal melody..... Her touchstones here aren't folk as much as they are acts like Portished.... Traditional song structures are replaced with cyclical songs based around Elva's harp whose oriental infused lines fall from her fingers like droplets of water...Elva's voice is velvety and soft and it almost lulls you to sleep...
Bernard Zuel – Sydney Morning Herald
.... the defining characteristic of this elusive but captivating album from the Sydney-based New Zealander is all the things left unplayed..... Elva creates an atmosphere of low temperature and low light where single notes hang in the air and some of Portishead’s creeping dread arrives in a mournful trumpet. As much oriental as occidental, Ships And Trees takes folk music, the hint of electronica and a gothic touch and builds first ambience and then a song, drawing you in by not showing its wares until you have absorbed the mood..........
DB Magazine Adelaide
.........Elva instead builds layers of strange, beautiful music to create something altogether singular yet instantly beguiling in its individuality.... Elva's songs sway from ambient to dramatic, often within moments... The "otherness" of the music, whilst not creepy per se, certainly demands attention - it can also be slightly eerie, something added to by the often strange, almost Lynch-ian found sounds......... embrace the otherness and the eeriness, however, and you will be rewarded, because it's the beguiling oddness that makes this music so beautiful.
City Hub - Sydney
.... Ships and Trees evokes the sound of the last moments of twilight .............Elva explores the music of imaginary film noir soundtracks
Tsaunami Magazine - Brisbane
If silhouettes had sound, Heidi Elva’s ‘Ships and Tree’s would be it. The album is sparse, with hints of darkness and sadness. Ten ambient and folk-laced tracks of beautiful compositions and lyrical poetry, Elva has created an album that truly defines what sound is...
Top albums of 2008 – Katharsis Radio – Canada
4/5 - The Pessac Awards – France
Top albums of 2008 – Ondarock - Italy
Ships and Trees
Released 8 September, 2008
CDs and high quality MP3’s
available now from VITAMIN RECORDS
Hundred Fire Management
presents a very special Friday Night Fire on Grand Final eve, Friday September
25, at Edinburgh Castle. On a weekend usually associated
with the big men of sport, Friday Night Fire will feature three of the best
female acts in Melbourne.
Kick this huge weekend off with Cash Savage and the Last Drinks, Suzannah Espie
and Krista Polvere. Doors at 9pm.
With an all star line up:
Eddie Perfect
Paul Capsis
The Conglomerate
Abbie Cardwell
Sophie Brous
Tommy Spender
Casey Benetto
Video Day
Steve Sedergreen
Jan Skubiszewski
Marc Testart
Xani Kolac
Peter 'The Dog' Burgess
Ben Hendry
Brother Grim
Jelly Tub Rollers
and
Clairy Baby Brown & The Bangin Rackettes
This film clip was made by Glass Kingdom
Films! Please visit www.belladonnathemovie.com
to see their feature film to be released later this year with Lamplight
appearing in the film and on the sound track!
..
