Review Summary: The Keening presents a beautiful world of doom-folk with Little Bird
Having been born from the Great SubRosa Schism of 2019 alongside The Otolith, The Keening’s debut album has similar priorities in dreamy atmosphere and lush instrumentation. But while their counterpart has taken their alma mater’s post-metal foundation to heavier ends, Little Bird takes a calmer approach more informed by folk sensibilities. Comparing the two projects makes for some complementary contrasts but each is able to stand on its own.
Singer/multi-instrumentalist Rebecca Vernon certainly rises to the occasion with gorgeous musicianship throughout. The vocals deliver dark romantic storytelling with an ethereal reassurance, strings and keyboards maintain a constantly stirring presence, the rhythms have a loose swaying feel, and the guitars generally opt for simple strums occasionally supplemented with waves of distortion. Thankfully nothing ever feels lost in the shuffle and the combination makes for an array of colorful layers.
While this approach leads to the songwriting prioritizing fluid moods over more direct structuring and hooks, there are plenty of standout songs to work with. “Autumn” and the title track shine in the first half, the former setting up an especially light tone while the latter builds on creepy piano and vocal layers that invoke a church-like atmosphere. It’s also cool to see the back half push their narratives to the forefront; the two-part “The Hunter” delivers its murder balladry with confrontational lines, especially boosted by the first part’s gradual doom build, while “The Truth” weaves a series of tragic vignettes across eighteen minutes of winding theatrics with especially tense guitar work.
Overall, The Keening presents a world of beautiful doom-folk with Little Bird. As expected by a project with the SubRosa connection, the gorgeous musicianship and enveloping atmosphere make it easy to linger while the songwriting takes its time to grow on the listener. Even if one missed SubRosa and The Otolith, fans of artists like Chelsea Wolfe and Darkher are sure to find it appealing. With such pronounced identities already taking place, it’ll be exciting to see the sort of stories The Keening will tell in the future.
