Select Visual History has that capturing panoramic sense that fans of Hammock, Slow Dancing Society or Lanterna will enjoy, but at the same time it also has some of that beautiful glow guitarists like Eric Johnson or Pat Metheny have in their music. This combination makes McKane’s style distinctive.
A composer, multi-instrumentalist and filmmaker based in mid-coast Maine, Sumner McKane is more than anything else a talented guitar player. I have a feeling that McKane is quite capable of playing fast, progressive music with empty virtuosic technique displays, but fortunately at the moment he’s doing something that is much harder to do in my opinion—playing slow, expressive music that conveys emotion and atmosphere. Listening to Select Visual History is like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket of sweet, caressing melancholy that goes straight into that place where we miss and hope.
Whether you live in a country area or deep inside an urban environment, looking outside your window on a sunny yet gray afternoon or during a lonely summer or winter night while Select Visual History is playing in the background, really intensifies the scenery you’re watching, whether it’s just the leaves upon the trees blowing in the wind, or an old man walking slowly while a young man passes him quickly. The synchronization between music and visuals becomes cinematic. It becomes evocative. Everything starts to move according to the music, in a slow, mesmerizing motion. In terms of style, Select Visual History has that capturing panoramic sense that fans of Hammock, Slow Dancing Society or Lanterna will enjoy, but at the same time it also has some of that beautiful glow guitarists like Eric Johnson or Pat Metheny have in their music. This combination makes McKane’s style distinctive.
There isn’t much diversity within the hour long flowing of Select Visual History, the album pretty much pulses in the same vibe and slides through the same moods all along, but what it does, it does well. It moves. It’s enough to take a look at a couple of McKane’s studio pictures to get a feel of the vibe and atmosphere of the album. This music pleads for outdoors, and can be a lovely soundtrack for long drives with your family and friends, but can be quite effective during home listening as well.
Select Visual History is available directly from Sumner McKane’s website. [Release page | Bandcamp]
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