You know class when you hear it – or at least I do – and Ofeliadorme exude class. It’s not the kind of class that, perhaps, is immediately obvious as they are never less than subtle yet it is the Ofeliadorme way to persuade rather than prod you into action.
Their album “Secret Fires” may indeed underwhelm you on first acquaintance but, as with so many things in life, first impressions are often errant in the dark night of their assumptions. Much of what you hear within the boundaries of this elegantly packaged collection of songs may seem no more than a polished up version of bedsit electronica yet there is always the spell of the enchantress to consider and many of the songs – “Body Prayer” and “Birch” in particular – would have the power to lead your ears on the journey even without the spell cast by Francesca Bono’s voice but it is undoubtedly her sonic contribution that changes the destination to a time and place more mystical than today.
There is, therefore, a timeless quality to this album with that very quality marking Ofeliadorme as wizards of the urban jungle with the poetry of fairy tales easily found between words and music.