helios

do not underestimate what i am about to tell you:
this album has blown me away more than any other release so far this year.
and i can only see it growing on me even more with additional listens.

here are two separate accounts of my initial experiences with helios, the alias of classically trained musician keith kenniff (a.k.a. goldmund):

the first time was in my car, during my morning commute to work two days ago. as i sat at a stoplight in the early morning, an old, beaten-down, rusted-out pontiac 3000-le sat waiting for the light to turn in front of me. it held a family of three, a young girl safely belted in the backseat. as "bless this morning year" poured through my car's speakers, my mind completely zoned out as i observed them, the sounds around me slowly and completely absorbing me. a feeling came over me that was so surreal, almost angelic. i felt as though i was being given a peek into the transient beauty and harmony of humanity.

yesterday afternoon. i set my imotion speakers up on the coffee table and played this record for the second time while i sat on the couch, my two-month-old son drifting off to sleep in my arms. somewhere around track 2, "halving the compass," the rich textures and gorgeous swells of eingya became a perfect match for the replete serenity and unquestionable comfort i could see on luke's face as he slept so peacefully.
the beauty of the moment almost overwhelmed me.

while i would not endorse the comparisons myself, i can understand why people will inevitably compare helios' sound to sigur rós'. the last time i felt so moved and overcome by a piece of music was the first time i heard ágætis byrjun.

MP3: "bless this morning year"
MP3: "dragonfly across an ancient sky"
MP3: "paper tiger"
from the album: eingya
release date: 06/07/06
label: type
myspace: add as friend