Helios - Ayres [Type - 2007]Ayres finds the lush, beautiful and tuneful electronica meets organic instrumental world of Keith Kenniff Helios joined by Kenniff own often emotional vocals that fall somewhere between Moby, Billy Corgan & Trent Reznor in there quieter moments and the hurt wonder of Neil Young. The vocals never seem invasive or take away from the musics cinematic and often emotional pull, they really add to it as Kenniff puts on a very feeling human performance- that never seem contrived or overtly dramatic. The tracks are built around a mix of crunching beat work, felt synth melodies and haunted streached vistas of sound, rich piano pain and hurt waltz, and soothing acoustic guitar unfolds to electric indie marches - there tuneful but never overly sweet -always seemly heavy with the blues and life’s ups and downs, I guess intelligent grown up pop music would be the best description. It only clocks in just near the half an hour mark but you don’t feel short changed as he weaves enough tuneful, clever and felt music over the six tracks- it feels just the right length,with every track having it’s worth and wonder. Lets hope that this gives the bigger audience that Kenniff surely deserves. An grown-up and emotional pop/ eclectronica album with inventive edges and quality stamped though out. Roger Batty
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