Cloak of Fear is the latest single by Ottawa-based singer-songwriter and storyteller Heliara, which talks about letting go of negativity and inner demons and is written in the form of a letter that Heliara is sending to herself. The song is super open and vulnerable and brings us into the depths of the state that the artist feels while confronting the dark parts of herself and finding ways to fight and contain them.
The song begins with a contradictory piano and rhythm guitar, which set the tone and mood for what’s about to come and show a beautiful juxtaposition between the light and darkness themes in the lyrics. She succeeds in representing the dark themes of her lyrics with a bright and empowering piano that leaves some space for hope and a solution to the problems.
The song has sombre verses and a powerful chorus, with Heliara’s unique and high-pitched voice shining throughout the entirety of the track. She is one of those singers who pour their souls out into their singing, and I was surprised when she sang even higher and with more emotion and resonance on the bridge.
But it doesn’t just end there, she follows it with a groundbreaking guitar solo that gave me instant goosebumps and skingasms. What a wonderful way to aid the emotions and give the song a more epic feel and keep it memorable. Other artists are usually focused only on vocals and piano and maybe having a good beat, but what makes Heliara stand out with me is the sheer attention to detail and emotional delivery with both instruments and vocals. Go check out Heliara’s latest single, as well as her previous releases on all major streaming platforms.
