Layers of Afternoon

Released in June 2025, Layers of Afternoon represents a refinement of Keith Kenniff’s long-running Goldmund project. While his earlier works like Corduroy Road explored historical and civil war themes, this 14-track collection is more insular, focusing on the domestic and the immediate. The recording technique utilizes extreme close-miking, a hallmark of the Goldmund sound, which elevates mechanical artifacts - pedal noise, hammer strikes, and room hiss - to the level of instrumentation. This 'dusty' aesthetic places the album firmly within the modern classical and ambient-acoustic traditions. Clocking in with several tracks under the three-minute mark, the album functions as a suite of miniatures. Critics have noted the album's ability to evoke a sense of 'anemoia' - a nostalgia for a time one has never known - through its use of analog warmth and simplistic, folk-inflected melodic structures. It stands as a quintessential example of the 'quiet music' movement, prioritizing texture and intimacy over technical virtuosity.