A review of the Keor album ‘Petrichor’ - released on December 7th 2018
Keor is a musical project by Victor Miranda Martin, in Montpellier, France. ‘Petrichor’ is his sophomore album (after his debut album ‘Hivemind’ and the single ‘Winter’s Pilgrim’).
To begin with, this album is truly amazing. To me, it’s a breath of fresh air, the ideas and feeling behind the album are really unique and interesting which resulted in there being no moment in any song that I thought ‘Meh, this is okay’ - it all fits so well together as a full piece and yet I could comfortably enjoy one of the songs individually.
In case you didn’t know, petrichor is ‘a pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather.’ The meaning of this word really resonates throughout the entire album, particularly the title track; the blend of acoustic and well placed electric riffs and passages creates an immersive sensation of being in the sweet (and sometimes not so sweet *cough* Abyssal Bloom) rain. Victor’s voice is really well suited to the whole vibe of the album, it’s so emotionally evoking and powerful in the right places. The entire album feels like a haunting soundtrack for a fantasy/horror set deep in the woods. All the instrumentation works really well together to create a diverse mix of sounds that really fit well in the album - ranging from a heavy wall of sound to delicate harmonies and acoustic sections.
The title song begins with a serene opening, moving into a catchy acoustic passage that leads well into a heavier and more darker section around one-third of the way through the song. The melodies are the real driver in ‘Petrichor’ and yet the climax is dark, gritty and almost nightmarish. The darker sound balances out by pumping energy into the song that manages to fit surprisingly well despite the tranquil beginning. The ending is very climatic, moving from majestic and punchy to harmonic and haunting.
The album as a whole is cathartic, like an emotional and immersive roller coaster. And although for me, each song has its own ‘arc’ from beginning to end, and each offers a satisfying release of emotion at the end, the entire album also has this effect when listening to it in one sitting. One thing that I really enjoy about listening to it as a whole is how emotionally drained and tired I am at the end; it feels like such a journey and the fact that I’ve been taken through this intense world really does feel like it’s ‘purged’ the bad emotions from my body. On the other hand, each song can be taken on its own and still be enjoyable as a single piece, but the full force of the album really comes through when you go through all of it (preferably when it’s raining outside and you have some good surround sound).
The Nest of Evil is the next song on the album and begins with a lot more energy and grit than Petrichor. The riff is catchy and surprisingly uplifting (despite a sinister undertone to begin with) especially when just listening to the end of Petrichor. The song moves into a slower paced and creepy passage in which all the instruments work really well together. We’re then flung into an energetic build that suggests a more energetic side to the song before actually leading us into a more melodic section. This song really reminds me of a lot of Pineapple Thief songs, and ‘Mellotron Scratch’ by Porcupine Tree. We’re then finally given the energetic build we were previously teased with, but this time it’s back with a bitier more sinister tone that still feels like a surprisingly natural progression from even the most peaceful parts of the song. Overall, The Nest of Evil has some great contrasting parts that really play with you, and the ending is again a brilliant climax to this song with a beautiful ‘wall of sound’ taking centre stage to create a menacing outro.
Snivel by the Pond is pure magic - it’s whimsical and full of fantasy to begin with, I mean this song really feels like the opening to a film set in the woods, it’s so majestic and powerful despite being driven by the softer melodies. Again, a lot of this song is kind of harrowing - Victor’s voice along with his acoustic guitar just have that effect. The climax for Snivel by the Pond is a lot more orchestral which is a refreshing change from Petrichor and The Nest of Evil, and it also adds to the soundtrack vibe that the song gives off.
Terence was actually the second song on Petrichor that I listened to, and it’s actually what sold me on the rest of the album. The beginning is acoustic and quiet, but in a way that shows how powerful the song will become, it’s enchanting and intriguing right up through the chorus, until the heavier piano towards the end of the chorus that really has an impactful force and makes this song have a hidden sinister depth.
Abyssal Bloom has a heavy and evil opening that really tells us that playtime is over, unlike the previous songs, Abyssal Bloom’s beginning is all menace, and all build. The heavy wall of noise cools off but maintains the dirt and grit with a powerful mix of Victor’s harmonies. There is hope at one point in the song for a brighter side, which is really uplifting, but it is soon pushed to the side for a gloomy soundscape that leads into a quiet and eerie passage. The elements of a majestic soundtrack begin to return towards the middle of this track, bringing back the fantasy and majesty for the end of the album. The song cools off and takes us through a hyper-emotional sequence with Victor singing softly. The build comes back, this time with an uplifting vibe that reminds me of Anathema’s ‘Untouchable Part 1 and 2’. This is the ultimate release of the album, the ultimate catharsis. It’s hard not to be moved to tears at the end, Victor has somehow created an emotional well that just drains and keeps on draining.
Overall - this album is almost flawless, especially as the effort of mainly one person. It fits beautifully together but can also function as 5 individual songs. A solid 9/10 for this album, and the only reason it doesn’t get a 10/10 is because it’s made all other music look bad; go and give this a listen, but bring tissues and your happy places. Thanks for reading!
- James Carstairs
Track Listing:
Petrichor
The Nest of Evil
Snivel by the Pond
Terence
Abyssal Bloom
Keor is:
Victor Miranda Martin - Vocals, Guitars, Mellotron, Hammond Organ,
Soundscapes, Sampled Instruments and Additional Keyboards
With help from:
Reid Blackmore Noble - Mandolin, Orchestral Percussions on track 3
Anaïde Apelian - Clarinet on tracks 3 and 4
Lucas de la Rosa - Piano on tracks 3 and 5
Links:
https://keor.bandcamp.com/album/petrichor
https://open.spotify.com/album/75We9kM5TElzZFIQoqepSu
https://www.facebook.com/keorhomepage/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmPyOk46zvPzU9PN9UKxtEA
https://www.instagram.com/victormirandamartin/
Really great review!