Zara evokes the quiet solitude of dawn, as the fog lifts and each sound — darks barking in the distance, the rustling of leaves, the ticking of a clock — resonates through the stillness. But beneath the tranquil soundscape, a low, resonant hum pulls each track into shadowy, more introspective territories. The debut album by Parus, an ethno-ambient project from Belarus, weaves vanishing murmurs, nature sounds, and ancient songs to create a mesmerizing soundscape where time seems to blur. Folk singer and ethnographer Hanna Silivonchyk’s voice hovers in a liminal space, channeling Belarus’ pagan past, while electroacoustic producer Anton Anishchanka’s layered field recordings and synthesizers bridge the rhythms of nature and human life. Zara captures this sense of interconnectedness, conjuring an entrancing little world where the hum of everyday life is accompanied by the whispers of ancient spirits.