Shimmer
City Hall, 2021
9/10
An extremely adventurous 13th album from Kevin Keller, the composer crowd sourced Shimmer in 28 days, and had fans provide ideas that he meshed with his studio improvisations which focus much on the piano, but also embraces an orchestra and synth, among others noisemakers.
“Orchards” starts the listen with a quivering electronic feel as a moody backdrop is met with playful pop ideas entering the sophisticated gestures, and “Inverness” follows with a calmer approach that’s quite meditative in its cautious, dreamy appeal.
The middle tracks are among the best and include the agile keys of the hypnotic “Bridges”, while “Ithaca” recruits a cinematic quality that burns gently amid a soothing, ambient landscape of incredible detail.
“Riverbend” arrives near the end, and offers a light buzzing that flirts with prog-rock ideas alongside the frisky synth, and “Delta” exits the listen with a hazy, sublime and stirring display of atmospheric and glowing song craft that ends much too early.
A very appropriately titled album, the bright textures and dance floor friendly moments are met with classical nods and plenty of guitar melodies, as Keller turns in a very unique and alluring listen that will make anyone a fan pretty quickly.
Travels well with: Michael Whalen- Future Shock; Lusine- The Waiting Room