Description

Musician and songwriter Kristina Stykos blends the wild and the gentle, with both rockin’ tunes and
the smooth keyboard work and synth imaginings of Philip Aaberg. Over the course of 14 original cuts,
Stykos covers a wide variety of musical terrain. She rocks out on a big, cutaway acoustic guitar on
“Thing for You.” On dangerous love songs such as “Turn Off the Noise” and “Soul of My Soul,” she
croons with a heartfelt, emotional quaver. On “Abenaki Hills” — a current personal favorite — she
chants lyrics that one could imagine rising like mist from a mountain lake at dawn. Throughout the
record, Stykos uses her considerable skill as a poet like that of a painter: She draws the listener in
and captivates with a canvas of vivid imagery. Her glorious, trance-like guitar riffs and Aaberg’s
spacey synthesizer work underscore her words, like sunlight refracted through old glass of deep but
vibrant colors. The record swirls with a depth and warmth that makes it stand out from the myriad
acoustic releases each year. It makes me want to duct-tape my old Dynaco A-25 speakers to my
head so I can hear every snap and ring. In more ways than one, Raven is a treat for the ears. –Robert Resnick, Seven Days (review edited for length)

Raven Raven, Abenaki Hills, Wing and a Prayer, Thing for You, Flowing West, Aniya, Last Cup of Love, Let’s Cherish the Day, Piece of Lovin’, Don’t Walk Away, He Will Be Free, The Darkest Time, Soul of my Soul, Turn Off the Noise