'Her voice swaying and swooping to somewhat melodramatic lyrics about life and love and death and art ... she stood very still on stage, swaying her platinum blond hair ever so slightly . . . Xyra clearly has deeper things on her mind . . .

As for her own concerns, Xyra says she's "very worried about the human race, about where we're going and what we're doing. I don't know if I believe in prophecy, but these do seem like very dark times."

And to do battle in these dark times, what better armor than that of diva? "Oh, I'm just a pseudo-diva," she says with another laugh. "I'm a female singer who cares. I'm a chanteuse, a little on the glamorous side, so call me what you will.'

NIGHTWATCH - Xyra: A Diva by Any Other Name
By Eric Brace
Washington Post Staff Writer


"Xyra is a DIVA, a consummate chanteuse and a great entertainer - the Queen of "Cabaret Rock" - which combines vibrant elements from rock and the smoky, mysterious atmosphere of a night club on the 'shady' part of town... Though she has been compared to Annie Lennox, Xyra, I think, is more mellow, more refined, more sinuous."

Stavros Moschopoulos
The Global Inn - Luna Kafé e-zine


'Those who liked the fragile intensity of the first Xyra album will love this one too, since all the qualities of Glass Birds evidently remain in place (I had the same sense of relief that we all experienced on first playing Shine on Brightly to find out if it really continued the rich vein first explored in the Procol Harum album!).

Xyra's self-penned songs remain dense, allusive, and musically intricate
.
. .

This new album is as Nico-esque as the first, more so in fact since it includes Xyra's interpretations of material by her vocal role-model, and a cover of Nico's Jim Morrison tribute, You Forgot to Answer, into the bargain. There's also a characteristic rendering of My Funny Valentine and a Bryan Ferry item, When My Heart Is Still Beating. The kinship with Ferry is, now that I think of it, no surprise at all!'

Roland Clare - Beyond the Pale
Official Procol Harum Website


"Shadows Of Light is a six track CD containing preview selections from Xyra and Verborgen's second album Frightening Beauty. Recorded with absolutely stunning quality, the EP contains about a half hour of all new material richly produced with lush instrumentation and Xyra's incredible and highly dramatic vocals.

Viewed by artists and fans alike as the group's most emotive sounding material, the instrumentals on the EP also stretch to new heights in their depth and in the imaging quality achieved in the final mix.

When reflecting on this EP, it's clear that Xyra's soaring and powerful vocal work still carries the songs but the instrumentals are now taking a larger part in the overall experience. Surely their forthcoming album will illustrate a notable development in the group's overall direction and should please and intrigue a broad variety of music enthusiasts."

Russ Elliot, New Musical Discoveries, London


"Shadows (of Light) made me remember my clubbing days in the late sixties and early seventies. It always seemed that the best and most interesting music was found in clubs where you would want to sit with your back against the wall."

"I see a music/variety store with tie dyed shirts and faded jeans hanging in the window. Right next door is the entrance to an off-beat club, where you go down stairs to be greeted by a large Haitian bouncer, dressed in a black, three-piece suit with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing two tattoos; one of a snake and dagger with the tip piercing the back of his right hand, the other of a shapely young woman with a banner draped across her body that says, "MOM".

Inside, the air is thick with cigarette smoke and incense. The smell of beer and leather permeates the room. The only light comes from the colored candles on the thirty round, wooden tables, and a single spot light pointed toward the small stage in the far corner.

Young lovers kiss. Old couples reminisce. Everyone, even the barmaids and the manager with the perpetually bad attitude, turn their eyes and ears to the stage when the band begins to play. At the end of each song they applaud and cheer, and try to remember what they were talking about a few minutes earlier. And when they leave, they won't remember anything but the music......"

James Micheal - JR27


'Nouveau'? Yes, there's not much elsewhere like this. Limpid yet harrowing, passionate yet highly-mannered; backward-looking in its musical idiom yet primarily New Age in its whole-world outlook, and its predominantly positive response to issues of confusion, loss, and the inevitability of decay. It [Where Glass Birds Fly] seems very much Xyra's album: it is her unique, powerful and compelling voice that sells us the album's various 'issues' such as 'Did you know, there's a choice to be made! The worst can happen once again?' and the Bowie-tinged 'Gardens on Mercury, factories on Mars, test-tube humans controlling the stars.'

So why would a specialist Procol Harum site choose to devote a page to this exquisite CD by a self-styled 'Cabaret Rock Nouveau'? Well, partly because their music is uncategorisable in the way that the best of Procol Harum music is; partly because the words - despite being much less oblique, and much more self-consciously Aquarian than Keith Reid's - are artful, reflective, eerie, and predominantly melancholy; partly because the lead voice is evocative and highly unusual; partly because the compositions draw freely from all sorts of influences without imitating any of them; partly because the instrumental playing is detailed, deft and perpetually intriguing ..."

Roland Claire, The Official Procol Harum Website -
"Beyond the Pale"


"Xyra & Verborgen don't sound much like the other bands who play D.C.'s rock clubs - and that's not only because of Xyra Harper-Cann's classically trained voice. The local ensemble's "Where Glass Birds Fly" is rooted in Goth-punk and art-rock, notably the quieter side of Siouxsie and the Banshees and the more melodic songs of Nico . . . As titles like "Prometheus Scatters Ashes and "Ancient Incubus" signal, Harper-Cann doesn't exactly write kick-out-the-jams material. Such verses as "Onyx cigarette holder, in a white gloved hand/Like a Lautrec painting/Or a bright cabaret band" suit Harper-Cann's meticulous vocals and the band's style, which draws on chamber music and European cafe songs."

Mark Jenkins - The Washington Post, The Weekend Section


"Spiritual . . . Emotional . . . Visionary"

Richard Fuller, WETA FM, Washington, DC


"Fairport (Convention) meets Edith Piaf In a dark alley and gets mugged by Nico"

Lee Michael Demsey, Smithsonian Folkways, WAMU FM, Washington, DC


"Verborgen denotes a kind of Cabaret for the New Millennium"

Robert Goldstein, National Public Radio - formerly of Warner artists, The Urban Verbs


"Instead of covering old ground, Xyra & Verborgen's music begins where others have left off and explores future themes with heartfelt emotive lyrics and vocals, as well as outstanding instrumental orchestration."

Russ Elliot, New Musical Discoveries, London


"JAXX is not the usual place to hear cellos and flutes, but those entrancing sounds are exactly what greeted us when we caught XYRA AND VERBORGEN perform one wintry night in Springfield (VA). They call their singular style "Cabaret Rock Nouveau," a fitting description for the dense, unexpected, challenging songs that remain nonetheless toe-tapping when need be. While the band maintains a charmingly retro stance, they also embrace the current technology, being all over the Web."

David Nuttycombe, Washington City Paper.com - from interview feature: the "POP Quiz"


"Xyra & Verborgen's riveting musicianship and message redefine the term Alternative. They are trendsetters, portending an exciting, auspicious new genre!"

Marco Delmar, Recording Arts Studio -
formerly with Capitol artists, The Elektics


"Killer! - Xyra's velvety, powerful resonance captivates, amazes, soothes and confronts"

Paul Chiacchierini, OMEGA Studios, Rockville, MD - Produced X&V's early demo recordings, with Dave Durr


"Deeply intriguing and intellectually stimulating -- wonderful voice!"

George Campbell, Entertainment Law


"Caught up in the disorder of everyday life, it is sometimes easy to become lost in the confusion. The desire of most is to seek a way out, or at least a safe path by which to be guided. It would appear that Xyra and Verborgen has found that source of guidance and encouragement. They share it through their music . . .

The lyrics are poetically written and heavy with intent. The music is good, too. This group cleverly mixes Xyra's unusual musical voice with great instrument pieces . . . I am quite pleased with this group's ability to address painful issues with great kindness and gentleness. They do not water down the import of their message, nor do they excuse their strong position against the atrocities executed against humans, or even the everyday sufferance human kind in general must endure."

Tammy Childs - Cybercity Magazine Music Reviews


"The [debut] album [Where Glass Birds Fly] is musically intricate and produced with care and vision. Orchestration highlights both the instrumentalists' individual- and combined-talents. Strings, woodwinds and percussion work well together to provide a solid foundation for Xyra's vocals but provide equally compelling musical statements on their own. With a firm footing in the classics, the instrumental movements remain highly accessible and without classical pretentiousness . . .

Overall, this is an outstanding album that demonstrates the true virtuosity of a talented group of songwriters and musicians. Instead of covering old ground, the music begins where others have left off and explores future themes with heartfelt emotive lyrics and vocals as well as outstanding instrumental orchestration."

Russell Elliot - Our World, Musical Discoveries


"Xyra & Verborgen resonate a genre for the New Millennium -- cello, piano, Spanish guitar, exotic percussion, six-string bass, and multi-winds lavishly loom behind the poetic prowess of a beautiful Diva! Let Xyra & Verborgen cast a spell on YOU!"

The Philadelphia Music Conference - Description of Showcasing Bands


"It is called "Cabaret Rock Nouveau," and it is the now sound of then. Or the then sound of now. Either way, it sounds terrif, and we love it . . . Be not afraid of the beautiful noise that is Xyra & Verborgen!"

David Nuttycombe, Washington City Paper.com - intro to feature article, The Studio Diary!