From the first reverently plucked, euphonically resonant string in Eolya’s release, Qu’es Polida, there’s an instantaneous transience into tranquillity as you’re swept to a serene sonic expanse where catharsis and meditation of mind come easily. Within the subtle harmonics and ambient stillness of Qu’es Polida, the modern bard Eolya resurrects forgotten constructs of sound that drift between breath, nature, and ancient reflection.
When his strident vocals enter, they bring with them wisdom that only a long lineage of history could conduit. Sung in Occitan, the track becomes more than an expression of folk tradition; it is a sacred invocation. With operatic stretches of tenor vocals, it’s so much more than your typical folk fare, it’s a cry from one soul to another, a river of emotion pooling from ancestral emotion and presence.
The narrative traces a man who wanders to a river in search of peace. There, he finds a muse, radiant and silent, cloaked in ethereal mystery. Fearing to disturb her, he watches and sings only for her. That silence becomes the breath of the track, carried on the wind, lingering in the shadows between longing and reverence.
Eolya, based in France, creates from the forest floor and composes with the wind. His musical language flows through Celtic, Norse, and pagan channels, yet it always sounds like it belongs exactly where it lands. In Qu’es Polida, stillness becomes a statement. Enchantment becomes an echo.
Qu’es Polida is now available to stream on all major platforms, including YouTube.
Review by Amelia Vandergast