A bit of intrigue surrounds the release of Feel to Heal by 9 Muses. The cover letter that came with the CD tantalizingly says, “Feel to Heal is the first in the Elements series and also introduces the listener to the first of the nine muses. More about her will be revealed shortly. First we let the music speak.” Hmmmmm! The identity of the artist(s) is not given in the credits or letter, so this is all very mysterious! The album itself is a lovely set of ten songs sung with the ethereal voice of what sounds like one woman (the first muse, I’m sure!). The poetic lyrics are accompanied by fairly simple instrumentation and rhythms that serve to enhance the hypnotic effect of the gentle words and voice. The theme of most of the songs is romance and love, but this is no cookie-cutter pop album. These themes are mostly of a more mature nature with dreamy, poetic thoughts rather than predictable rhymes.

Feel to Heal begins with “Cool Water,” a sensual song that is accompanied by a interesting rhythm and keyboard chords in the background. 9 Muses’ voice carries the melody singly and with layers near the end. This is definitely an attention-grabber! “The Moon Told Me” has a little more instrumentation, but it’s still very spare. I really like this one a lot - a passionate love song to a fiery demon and an angel. “The Man That Never Was” is about a fantasy man who has captivated the heart of the singer. The chorus’ tango rhythm could become an anthem for single women everywhere! “Master Mind” is more of a folk song accompanied by only guitar for the verses; strings are added for the choruses. The title track is a lot of fun! A strong rhythm and catchy melody make this one very radio-friendly. Exotic interludes and fascinating lyrics make it a real standout. Love it! As the title implies, “Bruised Tears” is about the most painful of heartbreaks - mournful and very moving. “Fynrien’s Dream” is magical and sparkling. There are no lyrics for this lovely song - just the sweet, dreamy voices and gentle, floating keyboard. Heavenly!

9 Muses has created a very impressive debut. I’m anxious to learn more about them (or her), and to hear more of this music. Feel to Heal is available from CD Baby, Amazon (with the wrong album cover on the page), and iTunes. Check it out!