American singer Mary Fahl gained considerable amount of cult following as October Project’s lead vocalist.The band’s music possesses lush , somewhat haunting melodies, superb harmonies and intricate arrangements . But it was Fahl’s voice, a dark, souring contralto that defined the band’s identity. It could have been a god’s voice crying from heaven.

Two albums later , the band was dropped from Epic records after failing to generate ‘mainstream’ hits.The unmistakable voice resurfaced with the release of her EP Lenses of Contact followed by constant touring. The other Side of Time(Sony Classical) is a follow up but too bad it never got released on local shores. Her voice has the nuance of Enya , the power of Celine Dion and the sensuality of Diana Krall. She knows exactly how to highlight a particular note and to give life to songs even with shy melodies. Going Home is taken from this album. It sounds as if it’s coming from the American Antibellum period with its somber verse only to progress into a sweeping chorus .Ulillean pipes, tin whistle and strings harmonize with the wonderful melodies creating a sketch of sweeping landscapes which is undeniably Celtic . Mary sings:

Love waits for me ’round the bend

Leads me endlessly on

Surely sorrows shall find their end

and all our troubles will be gone

And I’ll know what I’ve lost

and all that I’ve won

when the road finally takes me home…

And you can’t help but feel the emotions there. No wonder it has been chosen as an opening theme for an epic civil war film Gods and Generals. She also looks beautiful that she could have stepped out from a pre-raphaelite painting. But it doesn’t matter what she looks like. I’d still buy her albums for her voice alone.

Here’s the video for Going Home.