The Front Porch Of Heaven
Self-Released, 2020
8/10
Listen to The Front Porch Of Heaven
A veteran ambient composer who possesses an artistic vision that runs parallel to names like Brian Eno or Harold Budd, Kevin Keller’s The Front Porch Of Heaven packs a whole lot of ideas into 6 very versatile tracks.
“Beacon” starts the listen with plenty of atmosphere, as a surreal setting with bare keys and whispers of vocals unfolds as classical ideas meet modern electronica, and “The Forgotten Places” follows with a mysterious quality as the tune becomes soothing alongside keys and strings meshing together.
The back half of the listen offers the spacey and synth friendly “Into The Light”, which wouldn’t be out of place in a sci-fi film, while “The Sky Below” benefits greatly from textured ambience as a guitar adds much to the unpredictable landscape. “Solana” exits the listen cautiously, yet with an adventurous spirit that builds into a lush display of timeless melody and boundless beauty.
An album inspired by a recent brush with death when Keller underwent heart surgery and was on life support, that experience seems to have altered his creative process into even more exciting avenues of his ambient chamber music.
Travels well with: Lusine- The Waiting Room; The Rileys- Way Out Yonder