UK artist and composer James MCKEOWN, besides being a member of some band projects, have also been fairly active as a solo artist since he released his first album back in 2010. “Sublime Knight Elect” is the third album to be issued under his own name, initially released in a by now long sold out limited edition CD on the Reverb Worship label, later on made available through Negative Drive Records.
What McKeown has to offer on this production is a set of fairly low key, unobtrusive compositions. Creations that has something of an improvisational sheen to them, of the kind where I’d suspect that the main basis of the songs are just that and later supplemented with additional details. Idle speculation of course, but as that is an impression I do get this is a line of reasoning I guess others might recognize when listening to this album.
Fairly gentle and frequently pastoral sounding guitar motifs is the bread and butter of these nine songs, one or more of those the proverbial red thread throughout. Sometimes what sounds like a bass guitar may supplement this core element, but otherwise this album and the songs are all about the additional elements. Textured, subtly post rock oriented additional guitar layers or psychedelic guitar additions complement and contrast the core foundation, fluctuating drones that may or may not be provided by a guitar another frequently used element, light toned, sparkling and careful sounds that may stem from a piano or at times perhaps a xylophone or glockenspiel…or perhaps a triangle? All of these additional details careful, subtle to the point of being ethereal at times.
The gentle, unobtrusive soundscapes that is the end result are mesmerizing. Relaxing music you can easily meditate to, close your eyes and daydream too, or generally use and utilize as a calming aural medication in a world that for most of us tends to be to stressful and hectic for us to be able to find the calm to truly relax. McKeown’s material provides such a relaxation, but also with enough detail and tension to them that you will maintain an active interest in listening to his songs, one of the key details that separates interesting calm music from purebred meditative efforts and new age dreamladen escapisms.
If you enjoy mostly instrumental psychedelic rock of the kind that might be described as calm, lo-fi and pastoral, James McKeown’s “Sublime Knight Elect” is a production that warrants an inspection. Those fond of the gentler escapades with the type of music generally described as post rock might also want to give this one a spin, as McKeown’s use of textured instrument details should appeal to quite a few within that listener segment as well.
My rating: 82/100
