AURORA Vinyl & CDs

Review: AURORA's new album What Happened To The Heart? on Decca was inspired after she read a life-changing letter in 2002 that was co-written by indigenous activists and titled We Are the Earth. It called for a revolution to address global warming and heal the land and described a deep connection to the earth through our hearts. This inspired the artist to explore what happened to this connection. She delved into human anatomy to understand when and why Western culture lost touch with the heart's deeper purpose and the result is a poignant musical journey from weakness to strength which explores self-healing, the power of vulnerability, and is the call to reconnect the heart with politics and personal growth.

Review: Aurora's What Happened To The Heart album is a hauntingly beautiful exploration of emotional vulnerability and resilience. With her trademark ethereal vocals and evocative lyricism, the artist delves into the depths of the human experience and ponders the mysteries of love, loss, and transformation set against a backdrop of lush, atmospheric production. Her poignant laments are both fragile yet empowering and her soaring melodies intertwine with introspective introspection of the sort that makes a lasting impact. As far as odes to the complexities of love and the enduring power of the human spirit go, you won't find many better than What Happened To The Heart.

Review: Norwegian pop singer-songwriter and artist Aurora released Infections Of A Different Kind as a two-part album originally in 2019. Owing to its grand success, it's only taken it five years to reach the status of reissue-worthy! "If there is a god, would we even know his name?... if there is a god, I think he would shake his head and turn away" is one spine-tingling tagline from the album's title track, which gets at the album's Nietzschean themes: be they the trappings of over-indulgent, coddled consumer socities; the climate crisis; or the widespread emphasis of individualism above collectivism. An album with a deeply political heart and soul, it was considered a tonal shift in Aurora's oeuvre, marking the explosive awakening she felt upon its making.

Review: You may already know 22-year old Norwegian pop singer Aurora Aksnes for her rendition of Oasis' "Half the World Away" for a John Lewis Christmas advert in 2015, but if not, she's the biggest thing since Robyn. This latest record, following A Different Kind Of Human (Step 1) from last year, presents a third album to date and one that forms the second part of last year's surprise release. Fast-paced, hopeful, dancey and nordically folkal music, (Step 2) sees Aurora deliver something more experimental than before with its themes said to focus on ecological crisis and societal concepts of individualism. Syncopated basslines, staccato vocals and criss-crossing rhythms hit all the right spots in "Apple Tree" while our other pick "In Bottles" combines '90s pop sensationalism with breakbeats made to fit house tempos. Tip!