Review: Keor – Petrichor

Style: rock (mixed vocals)
Review by: Jonah
Country: France
Release date: 07-12-2018

NOTE: This album was originally included in the December 2018 issue of The Progressive Subway

Parts of this album could be on the soundtrack to The Witcher. There’s this heavily medieval, European sound that I associate with old minstrel tunes that this lad has just managed to capture exceptionally well. It’s definitely not a constant presence throughout this album, but when it’s there I enjoy the hell out of it. The caveat is, of course, that it’s not always there.

The guitar is the first thing that really popped for me with Keor, and it never really stopped throughout the entirety of the album’s run time. The lead melodies scattered throughout the album grabbed me immediately, creating this lovely, mystical atmosphere that transported me to magical other worlds, and I just absolutely adored it. When the album shifts into a heavier tone it also works quite well, as the riff structure is interesting and fun in a very Steven Wilson kind of way. The drumming ranges from competent and unexciting to innovative and fun in a couple moments, and that’s just fine with me because it does what it needs to do, it creates a rhythmic backbone for the lovely guitar and the equally mystical vocals. I can’t quite place who Keor’s vocals remind me of, but they’re wonderful. I can easily imagine myself in an old-timey Inn listening to this man warble in the background while plucking on a lute. The bass is pretty low in the mix a lot of the time, but when audible it’s quite enjoyable, joining with the drums to create a lovely backbone for the sound.

I’m not the biggest fan of the bands that Keor clearly draws inspiration from, but I can absolutely enjoy the sound that has been created here. The melody and atmosphere are gorgeous and entrance me on every listen. My biggest complaint is that even with the album’s relatively truncated run time of 49 minutes, it somehow still feels a tad too long for me. This might be because it ends on a longer track, or just because the songs all take quite a bit of time to get to where they’re going, but I could’ve done with probably 5 less minutes of music somewhere on the album.

This is a minor critique though, as Keor is definitely a project any fan of Wilson-esque prog should immediately listen to. I can’t wait to see what comes next from Keor, as I’m sure it’ll be astounding.

Recommended tracks: The Nest of Evil, Snivel by the Pond
Recommended for fans of: Porcupine Tree, The Pineapple Thief, Simon & Garfunkle
Final verdict: 8/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | RYM page

Label: Independent

Keor is:
– Victor Miranda-Martin (all instruments)