At this point it seems like the record has been leading gently towards what comes next, subtly introducing and repeating certain themes and motifs that now all converge in the powerful 'The Traveller', a homage to the life and legacy of late Fergus O'Farrell of Interference, creator of the song 'Gold', made famous on the Glen Hansard/Marketa Irglova film 'Once'. On this song, Yana takes a step back, and only lends her voice to harmony singing. Maurice Culligan, original keyboard player of Interference, fittingly, is tasked as the main instrumental and vocal performer of this beautifully written song that feels like the album centrepiece.
From here on, melancholy vibes persist, yet always with substance and afterthought, in 'Funeral Of Life', and the bilingual Greek chorus-like 'Dark Waters/Aguas Oscuras', but ends on a optimistic note with 'Pick Up The Pieces', a duet and lyric collaboration between Yana and Maurice Culligan about perseverence, which perfectly balances the sombre moods thus far with a bright and forward-looking defiance!
Yana has a way of often subtly evoking something else, something spiritual, something moving on a metaphorical plane. And this is where these songs get woven together thematically. There's voyaging, searching, and strife there, and a quest to overcome, not to succumb to the perils of the natural forces we all encounter on our journeys through life. Instrumental arrangements are interesting, tasteful, never dull. They make each song different, yet without losing continuity across the album. Often sparse, but therein again proving the old adage, 'less is more'! Yana's voice is distinct and expressive. She has her own way of phrasing, ranging from the sung, to the spoken, to the whispered. It often feels very intimate and it it conveys something special on an emotive level. Lend the album 'Journey Of The Soul' an ear, and you'll encounter mystical and spiritual vibrations, often of an Irish colouring. A colouring imbued with the creative and motivating spirit of Yana's late friend Fergus O'Farrell, whose passing moved Yana to embark on her musical journey and this album project. Ferg - have you been listening?
*This voyage was recreated some years ago with a traditionally built Irish boat carrying different groups of people at intermittent stages, but with a tragic outcome, when one of the sailors perished in a storm. A part of this journey featuring a group of folk musicians, including Glen Hansard, was made into a documentary titled 'The Camino Voyage'.
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