Hollie Kenniff could not have chosen a more perfect title for her album out next week on Western Vinyl. The Quiet Drift is exactly that - an album of delicate, weightless songs which do not remain static, but rather float high above, passing like cirrostrati. And just as cloud watching is a mindful act, suspending time and holding attention if only for a moment, listening to these ten ethereal constructions achieves the same end.
The Kenniffs are a musical family, and a prolific one at that. Hollie and her husband, Keith, play indie rock together as Mint Julep, and just released their fourth album in March. Keith performs under two separate monikers, Helios and Goldmund, and offered up what was perhaps DC's favorite song of 2020. It also appears that the Kenniffs score TV and movie soundtracks from time to time. So yeah, they stay busy.
Hollie Kenniff, courtesy of Western Vinyl and Goodchild PR.
Hollie and her family recently moved from Washington state to Maine, and then on to Canada, and while we hate to lose quality Pacific Northwesterners to the other side of the continent, it seems Hollie has found plenty of inspiration in her new home. Though The Quiet Drift occupies a heavenly sonic space, the song titles allude to grounded, natural beauty. There are forests, snow and fog, and a sunset. Though it is not always easy to name favorite moments on ambient albums, Under the Loquat Tree (which features Goldmund on piano) is definitely a standout track. Catch it below. But really, The Quiet Drift is best appreciated when heard in one uninterrupted sitting. Listening to it straight through unlocks its transportive power.
You can find The Quiet Drift for preorder through the Western Vinyl Bandcamp page, but it will be released in full on July 16th. We receive a lot of ambient submissions here at DC, perhaps more than any other genre, but this is an album absolutely deserving of a recommendation and repeated listens.