Parallel Dreams captures harpist/vocalist Loreena McKennitt at her absolute finest. Fully immersed in the Celtic style, this London, Ontario, performer's voice is lush and layered in warm harmonies, soaring above equally beautiful instrumentation. Flowing between traditional ("Annachie Gordon") and original ("Dickens' Dublin") fare, McKennitt slows down time and relaxes furrowed brows on this disc by staying true to her red-headed roots. Subsequent discs tend to experiment more with tangos and up-tempo melodies; Parallel Dreams, however, is one long, luscious lullaby. --Denise Sheppard