Kategorie: CD-Reviews | Genre: Ambient | Heft: Jahrgang 2012, eclipsed Nr. 137 / 2-2012 | VÖ-Jahr: 2012 | Wertung: 6/10 | Label: Western Vinyl | Autor: WS
Keith Kenniff is obsessed with the American Civil War and its themes of fratricidal war and self-determination. Under the pseudonym Goldmund, the electronics engineer (better known here as Helios) already lived out his weakness on several records. Initially he had set his sights strictly on piano, but finally he enriched his introspective neo-classical compositions with ambient streaks on "Famous Places". For the latest Opus he set 14 traditional folk songs from that era to music. Here he approaches for the first time with acoustic guitar the actually simple folk songs. A reverberant "The Death Of General Wolfe" opens in an intimate dialogue between guitar and piano, which together produce an almost harp-like sound. The famous "Amazing Grace" gets a quiet robe like at Christmas. The hardly less well-known "Shenandoah" is led by a sparkling piano and the guitar reminds of Mark Knopfler. But apart from that this extremely reserved album should only appeal to connoisseurs of the material. Others, on the other hand, may sink into a restful sleep when they hear.
Top track: Shenandoah
