Today we are reviewing an album sung with a chest of concrete, a voice that comes from brutalist body architecture. Keeley surprises us with “The Hollow,” a collection of small songs with haunting lyrics, piercing voices, and open royal harmonies.

As mentioned before, the first thing we notice in this album, whether we know the artist previously or not, is the impressive and distinctive voice. Keeley has a prolific career as an actor and musician, but this is the first time we hear this visceral and ethnic style of singing from her.

I believe the song where her voice is most impressive is “The Hollow,” showcasing vibratos that move with the power of a roto-hammer, a dark, glottal voice that evokes the gypsies and their cante-hondo cries. In this regard, Forsyth’s dark take on folk voices reminds me a bit of Lila Downs’ reimagining of indigenous pop music. When the song reaches the phrase “Shake my life out of my mouth,” the voice slightly breaks with a pain and emotion that is impossible to “shake the sound out of the mind” for a while.

The emotional power of Forsyth’s voice is enhanced by the orchestration of the pieces. She combines organs, string quartets, horns, and digital synthesizers in a way that feels like 20th-century and contemporary classical sacred music.

“The Horse” is a reimagination of a Mihály Vig composition made for the film “The Turin Horse.” Apparently, Mihály Vig gave Forsyth permission to reimagine and reconstruct the track. The harmonic landscape and movements remain the same in Forsyth’s version, but she adds interesting vocal lines reminiscent of Arvo Pärt’s choral works. The orchestration is more agile and interesting, if I may add.

The rest of the songs are surprisingly short. This is not surprising in terms of historical anticipation, as her previous album and releases are also characterized by their short format. By surprising, I mean that many of the songs lack a developed cadence, resulting in inconclusive musical statements, a sense of unfinished universes, half-breaths, and hearts holding their last beat.

Many of her musical decisions are a mystery, and listening to her will lead you to more questions than answers. However, like philosophy, you will find value in the unknowing.

I recommend this to any folk music enthusiast, appreciator of unique voices, and enjoyer of pain and sorrow.

Author: Martín Cacho

Martín is a video game composer, producer and writer from Sonora, México.