A few months ago, Shieldmaiden, the first single from Auri, was released and showed up in my YouTube feed. It instantly pulled me into pressing play. I have been in love with Auri’s music since the first album, and although I had not listened to their music for a long time, it was like going home as soon as the song began. Since Shieldmaiden, I have been tuned to everything Auri that came up. 

Candles & Beginnings

August 15th, 2025 Auri’s third album Candles & Beginnings was released under Nuclear Blast Record Label, and although I have not received the CD yet, I streamed it (sorry Troy)… headphones on, my morning coffee in one hand and my heart in the other, sitting on my balcony – tradition is tradition – I was transported to another world for the next 55 minutes. Every note, every word, every melody was pulling at my heart strings and I found myself tearing up without any good explanation for it –  “Not all tears are an evil – Gandalf”. Candles & Beginnings has so much light and joy.

The beauty of Auri’s music is that it has such a huge connection to nature, and so when I was listening to Candles & Beginnings for the first time, I was so entranced that – with only their music within – I connected to the birds swarming gracefully in the sky; the leaves swooshing gently and ruffling in the tree branches. I just felt connected. All around was put on mute while Johanna’s voice worked her spell on me. Truly magical!

I had high expectations for this third album, and I was in no way disappointed. It felt like a seamless continuity of Those We Don’t Speak Of, as if no time had passed. Johanna, Troy and Tuomas held out their hands towards me and said: “Come on, we have a story to tell you…” so I seized and followed them to cross The Invisible Gossamer Bridge. The songs’ titles seem to have been taken straight out of an ancient book of shadow which I cannot put back down.

Candles & Beginnings is absolute freedom. But if you are not willing, just don’t… this is a journey, a magical one and you should expect the unexpected… you should leave the “yes but” at the door… take your shoes off, let innocence and wonder guide you. This is Auri‘s most beautiful gift.

What magic is made of

The Invisible Gossamer Bridge became this perfect introduction, grabbing you gently and pulling you within the book that had just opened. Like a siren’s song that wouldn’t release you from its spell… Troy Uileann pipes transported me to the Scottish moors where the frontier between seen and unseen is blurred. The joy of the melodies is so powerful to me I did not want it to stop. 

The Apparition Speaks surprised me, as I did not expect the music to have such a heavy guitar. The lyrics are mystifying… I get it though. We continue the journey towards the unknown and it is not scary at all. Haunting!

I Will Have Language: in the continuity of the previous song, the atmosphere becomes a little Tim Burtonesque at times until you are transported to a completely different world. The notes in the beginning make me want to dance…  The violin… tears in my eyes, don’t know why… no sadness though, just awe. Music is the universal language that unites us all. 

Oh, Lovely Oddities is probably one of my favorites, were there such logical things to be able to choose from the chapters of a book. “Have a sit by the Milky-Way”… We’re invited to a feast shaded with pink… and as we are in unison, you can share this moment in time together. It has the feel of Alice in Wonderland who fell down the rabbit hole and shared tea with the Mad Hatter… only less crazy; only she is here visiting us.

Libraries of Love: wow… maybe this one is my favorite… come on woman, choose already! So much love in this song. As time passes, love never fades and lasts past the tides of shared memories. The rhythm of this song is almost primal with the beats of the drums. Gorgeous harmony filled with shivers! 

Blakey Ridge: This song has everything I love, Troy humming in the background, the tin whistle acting like a velvet blanket, and Tuomas piano easing it all, bringing it together. The lovely acoustic guitar gives a “poppy” vibe to Blakey Ridge, lighting my face with a bright smile. A bit of Ireland with the tin whistle and violin… love it! As I previously said somewhere else, the feel to this song is so freeing ❤ “I’m letting go of yesterday, The last of me is here to stay“… simple, effective, beautiful and so inspiring!!!

Helios: Beautiful Uliean pipes again… Troy, you’re killing me (softly)! Greek Sun God or maybe even a Titan… so much symbolic to praise the strength of light when you let it in your heart, or at least this is how I feel the song. 

Museum of Childhood: The music, at the end, makes me think of The Lion King… This is very much a journey into Childhood, where I saw myself wandering in a field with all my favorite things in life… at ease with exploring the memories of my own very happy childhood. Never forget the child living in your heart, is what this song reminds me of. Heartily light and joyful!

Shieldmaiden: sorrow, not sad but lingering in life… filled with unsung legends. The musical build in Shieldmaiden is out of this world. Johanna‘s singing is exquisit here. The orchestration gives me chills and brings such a huge smile on my face. It lifts my spirit to such heights. No wonder this song brought me back running to Auri. Outstanding story telling! 

A boy Travelling With His Mother: “There’s destination but no journey’s end“. Bringing us home, nothing we cannot conquer even if life is playing tricks on us, we’re no fools and we’ll prevail… no place for fear, just the flow of our hearts as time passes guided by those we love. 

In some ways, this song made me think of the beautiful Anime Clannad, and the side story of the little girl alone in a dying world. She built herself a companion robot with scraps she savaged from various places… they explored this world together until its demise, only to be reborn elsewhere, and love would be their compass. Maybe it is a bit far fetched, but could not shake the feeling of that story. Beautiful song! 

Follow your truth

Remember, I hold no truth except my own which my heart cultivates avidly every day. Your truth may be completely different from mine when you listen to Auri’s Candles & Beginnings, it is okay because it is yours. You should cherish it. In the end, this album leaves me wanting more, yet happy, content and serene. More… will come on September 17th 2025 in Paris, at La Cigale. I am so looking forward to it, nothing I wrote above comes close to expressing how much… 

Get your own copy of Auri Candles & Beginnings: Here

Get your ticket for Auri european show near you: Here

Thank you Auri, Johanna, Troy and Tuomas for this unforgettable journey. Hopefully, I did not get the instruments wrong…

Remember, take care of yourselves so you can better care for the ones you love.

See you soon,

Love ❤️

Claire

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If you are not yet bored with me, below is how I first discovered these three lovely artists.

How my journey started

The first time I heard Johanna Kurkela’s voice was on Tuomas Holopainen’s song “A Lifetime of Adventure”. I thought then she had the voice of an angel… her way of singing makes me so happy. I heard her then on the first Auri album, which I played on a loop for days. After this, I went on my current musical journey at the time but kept Auri’s music safely tucked in my heart. I finally heard her sing with Juha Tapio on “Muita Enemmän” and that was it really, I cannot get enough of her singing. https://johannakurkela.com/ 

For the anecdote, Juha Tapio is not known in France (or in Sweden where I used to live then). I heard of him after discovering that the quartet Triosis+ played with him; the quartet had participated in the recording of The Alexandre Theater Session by Poets of the Fall – my still very current musical journey. So the loop is done and I must say, Finland has offered me an incredible musical journey.

Back to Auri, and Troy Donockley. He is an incredible British musician and has hypnotized me many a time playing the Uileann pipes and tin whistle. He plays many other instruments, including the guitar, but he really got me when I listened to him singing on Desert Flower by Auri (Self-titled first album). 

Obviously, Troy is also well-known for being part of Nightwish since 2013, but – among many other things – he also made a guest appearance on Kamelot song “Under Grey Skies” and composed – as I found out during my research – the soundtrack of the series His Dark Materials season 2 (adaptation of Philip Pullman trilogy of the same name). I loved the books and the series.

https://troydonockley.com/ 

Finally, Tuomas Holopainen… the genius maestro behind Nightwish completes the trio that Auri is. He is an exceptional composer who has an organic understanding of music. An accomplished lyricist who tells stories like no other. I fell in love with his work only recently, so you can say that I only scratched the surface. His involvement with Auri makes for roller-coaster experiences. In 2017, the three friends created this magical band called Auri and I for one cannot wait to see them live in Paris on September 17th 2025. With Auri, the three of them are absolute geniuses!

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