Arcadia
Kevin Keller Music (2025)
I suppose by now I should be used to Kevin Keller's unique
way of not just pushing his artistic envelope but using all new envelopes
seemingly at will. His creativity also seems to have few, if any, limits. That
may strike some as hyperbole, but I certainly view him as one of the most
visionary artists whom I have reviewed in my nearly thirty years of reviewing.
Which brings us to his newest album, Arcadia. But
before I go into detail on how masterful the album is, allow me to make note of
a reason from my youth that helped me to appreciate the width and depth of this
emotive recording. I was raised Catholic and attended Catholic grade and high
school. In my earlier years, the Mass was still spoken in Latin, and likewise
choirs sang hymns in Latin. I remember being entranced by the voices from the
choir loft during Mass, almost siren-like in their haunting allure. Which is
why these songs struck such a profound chord (no pun intended) in me. I emailed
Kevin Keller about the songs, asking if I was correct that they were in Latin
and he responded "That is correct about the text. Tracks 1, 2, and 7 are
biblical/liturgical, and the other 5 tracks are original texts."
Arcadia is one of the most hauntingly beautiful albums I
have heard in recent years. It weaves its spell for listeners
who resonate with the format of women choir-like vocals set against an
assorted backdrop of all manner of instruments and keyboards (all of which, per
Kevin Keller himself, were programmed, which he stated he didn't consider
"performing"), including retro-EM, church pipe organ, and piano. Keller
also "played" electric guitar on four tracks. In addition to the four
choir members, three string players (see below) also contributed their talents
as well.
Lest you think that Arcadia is a solemn and subdued album,
wait until track 2, "et nox ultra" which lights up the skies with a
percolating rhythm on what I believe is a sequencer, moving at a fast-paced tempo.
The result is an energizing and lively excursion melding the voices, strings,
and the retro-electronics. Pure exhilaration to my ears. Then, in a dramatic
about face, track 3, "Me solum me invenio" opens with ultra-subtle
pipe organ and a lone plaintive lead vocal (Sofia Campoamor, I believe), which evoked several images for me, e.g., staring out at a massive vista that makes one feel both awestruck and also insignificant. The ethereal nature of this song is
impossible to adequately describe.
Track 4, "In tenebris" opens with a somber but
fast tempo piano refrain before the folding in of choral vocals floating above
the piano like birds on the wing. As the song progresses, strings are added in
with the voices and the piece takes on a more dramatic feel, building momentum
until it all winds down at the five minute mark into a subdued mix of vocals
and sparse ambient textures. Track 6, " In equo fugit" is among my
favorites as it opens with plaintive organ and hushed vocals, but over the
course of its' six-plus minutes, other elements are introduced and, like track
4, it builds in temp and drama, as twinkling bell tones are introduced. At
2:40, a mid-to-fast tempo beat is folded in and that's when things get even
more dramatic. The song continues to build, but not in bombastic way, more like
a slowly evolving spectrum of colors. When the strings enter the fray, the
beauty of the music just blossoms.
I know this review will sound like hyperbole, but I can
honestly say that when I first played Arcadia, I was stunned, even after
knowing the extent of Kevin Keller's talent. This is the fifth album of his I
have reviewed and that I could be this impressed after the excellence of his
previous releases, such as the day I met myself, or Nocturnes, is a
testament to the words of my opening paragraph to this review. It appears this
artist's ambition, talent, and imagination have no ceiling
.
ALBUM CREDITS
All music composed and produced by Kevin Keller
Associate producer: Deeba Montazeri
Assistant engineer: Peter Jensen
Mixed by Robert L. Smith
Mastered by Chris Frasco in Nashville, TN
All music and lyrics by Kevin Keller except tracks 3, 5, and
7 Sofia Campoamor and Kevin Keller
ARTISTS
Kevi Keller: Programming and electric guitar
Sofia Campoamor: Lead vocal
Danya Katok,Katherine Weissinger, and Wendy Baker: Sopranos
Sarah Zun: Violin
Angela Pickett: Viola
Laura Metcalf: Cello
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