Keith Kenniff has quietly become one of the most recognised names in the worlds of electro-acoustic and post-classical music with his releases under the Goldmund and Helios aliases. Whilst the latter deals with weightless multi-instrumental compositions which imply vastness and altering form, Goldmund is his outlet for short and concise solo piano pieces. Although Famous Places does see some of these coloured with subtle electronics it still sounds like solo piano in the most appropriate sense of the word; as though recorded in complete isolation. The production lends things a very intimate atmosphere with the pressing on pedals often as audible as the notes themselves, an intimacy further enriched by the fact that each of these songs are inspired by important locations in Kenniff’s own life.

2008′s The Malady of Elegance seemed far less restrained in it’s grandeur than previous work but this album strikes a perfect balance between splendour and understated melody; there are hushed barely audible pieces such as ‘Havelock’ as well as others which strike out a little more, relatively speaking at least. The ghostly choral drones on ‘Bergen’ are a perfect example of the points where the venn diagram of Goldmund and Helios intersect, a rare occurrence in the past. Kenniff more than compensates for such skeletal arrangements with their emotional impact though, the tone of which fluctuates throughout the record. ‘Dane Street’ exhibits a delicate grace beaming with positivity whilst ‘Brown Creek’ epitomises restraint, the disparate notes gradually coalescing to form a beautifully subtle melody which recalls Michael Nyman’s Decay Music. Also quite similar is the resonance of the high notes on ‘Safe Harbor’, which is amongst the most hopeful moments of the record whilst simultaneously exuding a melancholic lethargy which is quite striking.

The slow unfurling of these different moods gives the album a cinematic air, and ‘Fort McClary’ acts as a segue in to it’s third act, a track weighed down with remorse and hopelessness. The quietly expanding swell of ambience beneath patient strokes on closer ‘Saranac’ then lends proceedings an sense of finality, like the final stretch of an epic and life changing journey. Whilst Famous Places isn’t likely to change your life at all, it’s gentle lulling is almost certainly Goldmund’s finest work to date and conceptually acts as a dignified reminder of the sentimental importance of our day to day surroundings which can often go unnoticed.