Album Review | Hollie Kenniff Creates a Dreamlike Sanctuary with “For Forever”
The first impression sparked by Hollie Kenniff’s “For Forever” might be likened to stepping inside a dreamscape that one did not realize was accessible through mere sound. Indeed, there is something ineffably sincere and luxuriant about the way these eleven tracks unfold, as if they were spectral visitors bringing gentle whispers and charged silences. Kenniff—whose work straddles the line between ambient subtlety and sumptuous pop layering—has orchestrated a veritable sonic garden here, each piece blossoming with patient grace. In fact, “For Forever” stands as the artist’s most emotionally generous offering to date, a continuous current of meditative resonance that rewards the attentive ear.
“Linger In Moments”, the opening act, sets a precedent: sweet piano keys nestle under ethereal pads, weaving a tapestry that feels like catching faint murmurs of lullabies through a softly lit corridor. It’s not just some background music; rather, it’s an invitation to wander, wide-eyed and curious, through a fantastical terrain. “Surface” then appears, soothing as dew, blending a tender harp motif with shimmering pads that build a hovering tension before dissolving into pure relaxation. One feels almost weightless, as if gliding toward some unknown, beckoning surface in a state of blissful buoyancy.
However, the titular track “For Forever” grants the album a sense of anchored timelessness. Here, calming synth waves hum and hover, like a gentle current of air nudging the listener’s psyche into elevated states of reverie. The soundscape is undeniably therapeutic, a soft hum on a summer’s eve where the wind caresses your eyelashes and the world feels infinitely gentle. Moreover, “Sea Sketch” follows with a bold contrast, invigorating rather than merely consoling. Its revivifying frequencies surge forth, reminding us that serenity and energy are not mutually exclusive. This piece resonates like sunlight beaming through watery glass, both placid and potent.
The middle song “The Way of The Wind”, by contrast, radiates a tactile coziness. One can almost feel chromatic colors drifting by, each tone painting the air with delicate hues. The production is neither overbearing nor timid; it hovers in an intriguing liminality, balanced perfectly between comfort and curiosity. the song “Amare” —featuring Helios — thereafter arrives as a sonic elixir, an anti-decompressant woven out of whispering synth pads tuned to a mysteriously uplifting frequency. In addition, this track ushers in a subtle spiritual dimension, as though encouraging the listener’s breath to slow and their heart to uncoil.
“Over Ocean Waves” mimics an aquatic lullaby, piano keys peeking out timidly from behind swells of sound. There is a hushed melancholy here—an elegant sadness that nonetheless assures us we are connected with something vast and universal. “What Carries Us” shifts the focus again, placing more emphasis on luminous piano notes, guiding us into whimsical territory. The colors conjured—pink and navy blue—drift like brushstrokes across the mind’s eye, painting an imagined cinematic horizon.
The ninth song “Esperance” — which features Goldmund — is that unexpected gift: it peels back the pastoral ambient layers to reveal subtle drumming and ethereal riffs, gently lifting the spirit with a sense of optimism. Indeed, the feeling of hope bathes the air as this track unfurls, as if tiny seeds of possibility germinate in your chest. “Rest In Flight” then hovers like a daydream on warm sand—pads and melodic whispers encircling your senses, encouraging a deep exhale. Finally, “Far Inland” closes the narrative, a fragile piano rattling just slightly against a distant pad wash. This last piece suggests the solace of solitude, of finding inner truth beyond well-trodden paths — a prefect sound for drama films.
Altogether, “For Forever” serves as an auditory sanctuary. Hollie Kenniff’s mastery lies not only in her arrangements but in the palpable humanity they reveal—an embrace that feels honest, warm, and reassuringly endless.
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