EVENING STANDARD Feb 11, 2005

This stylish and unusual album introduces a Dutch singer-songwriter whose day job as a forestry researcher takes her to the greenest recesses of Indonesia, and Central and South America.

Her 10 original songs deal with colourful inhabitants of the tropical jungle, from butterflies (Beauty in Blue) and sloths (Lazy Lazy) to bindweed  (Fatal Embrace) and predators (The Jaguar).

Apart from a few vocal impressions of her own, Heleen lets her soulful lyrics and silken tones speak for themselves. The dynamic trio of pianist Bert van den Brink, bassist Tony Overwater and drummer Joshua Samson complete this elegant encapsulation of beauty in precariously unspoilt places.

Jack Massarik