Helios

You put this album on, it ends. You put it on again, and it ends again. Where does it go? It just drifts by so effortlessly it’s easy to miss, gently pulsing in the background. Not to put it down, though — this instrumental array of acoustic guitars and pianos on top of subtle, slight drum machines has some of the best melodies heard in these parts in some time. A one-man-band composed of Boston-based Keith Kenniff, seen elsewhere on Type as Goldmund, this has none of the self-indulgent staleness that plagues many solo productions. The reviewer concept of having to find something to slag falls short here — the album is faultless. Since its "backgroundiness” is inherently limiting in terms of commercial sales, hopefully somebody, anybody, will put this in a movie so it can get the exposure it deserves.