There is something very strange about me. When I listen to instrumental music (which can include music with untelligible vocals), I see things. It happens when I listen to Joe Satriani. It happens when I listen to Vivaldi. But it happens, especially, when I listen to Dead Can Dance. Every time I hear their effecting melodies, I catch glimpses of ancient temples or crowded Middle Eastern marketplaces, the foggy emerald countryside of Ireland or the secrets concealed behind Japanese ricepaper walls.

Or maybe it's not just me; classical and opera music was created and performed to invoke scenes and emotions on the basis of melody, rhythm, and dynamics. For centuries these pieces moved listeners, and still do so long after their composers have passed on. Many cultures the world over use music as a method of raising power for religious ritual, as a healing force and as a way to unite people and remind them of their cultural roots.

Gerrard collects these forces together to compose her new album, The Mirror Pool, like a priestess calling spirits down from the skies to dance in her body and express themselves with her voice. The music itself differs little from the work she has done with Dead Can Dance in the past, but the distinction here is that it's all hers. Each of the sixteen tracks on this amazing collection is a tribute to traditional music from some corner of the world. Most of the songs include vocals, but all are in foreign tongues and few draw solely from the sounds familiar to Western culture.

Rather, Gerrard uses her voice as an instrument to carry her melodies. Her range is amazing, from a low tenor on "La Bas: The Song of the Drowned" to a lilting soprano in places on "Swans" and "Glorafin." Mariah Carey would come begging at the devil's door for the vocal versatility that seems to come effortlessly for Gerrard. In a single sound, she conveys rich emotional sentiment without uttering a word familiar to the English language. The linguistic ambiguity leaves the us to our own interpretations of the songs and introduces a wealth of possible reactions to every moment on The Mirror Pool.

Even the song titles are enchanting, though they rarely provide meaningul clues. Names like "Violina: The Last Embrace" and "Ajhon" and "Nilleshna" dance along the edges of your mind as you move ever deeper into the musical wonderland Gerrard has created. Like the Ghost of Cultures Past, she takes us flying with her to glimpse fantastic places and times where everywhere there is music: joyous music, solemn music, gut-wrenching private lullabies and grand performances of song. She celebrates these moments as an expression of the soul, of the creative spirit, of life itself, and wants us to celebrate along with her.

Most of the songs on The Mirror Pool were entirely composed and performed by Gerrard herself, with the exception of songs recorded with the Victorian Philharmonic Orchestra in Melbourne, Australia, and the contribution of vocals, drums, and instrumentals to various arrangements. She also performs a cover of Handel's "Largo," a simple string and harpsichord arrangement with Gerrard's sweet voice lending operatic depth. "Persian Love Song: The Silver Gun" is a Southern Iranian piece which, under Gerrard's hand, becomes a haunting and unforgettable arrangement for vocals and viols. Her performance of the Chinese dulcimer, or Yang Ch'in, imbibes "Laurelei," "Glorafin" and "Swans" with a sparkling, ethereal quality.

The title of this album, as I suggested before, implies reflection. Each song resonates with a different folkloric sentiment, the kind of thing that shakes you to your DNA and doesn't let go until you come face to face with who you are -- spiritually, tribally, holistically. "Usually when work is reviewed," Gerrard explains, "there are references made to cultural influences. In my case, I have explored cultural expression as a means of freeing the spirit." Music like Gerrard's is important because it transcends time and physical boundaries and reminds us, deep down, of who we are and where we come from. After looking into The Mirror Pool and emerging drenched with vision and memory, it is difficult to hear any other music the same way again.

This article was originally published in Addicted to Noise.