For a While

Keijo is what you may call a "mover" in the Finnish folk underground. For a While is his first full-length release on Last Visible Dog, following his appearance on that U.S. independent label's seminal Invisible Pyramid box set. Keijo plays acoustic guitar, makeshift percussion, and various acoustic beaters and shakers, which he overdubs into intricate psychedelic folk tunes. Folk is clearly the starting point of this album, with the guitar providing melodic patterns. A bluesy leaning can also be felt at times ("With a Gleaming Gown"). Keijo works with stubbornly repeated phrases paired with slow-shifting arrangements. In that regard, the music on For a While could be seen as a Krautrock take on the folk jam. And it works out nicely, be it the percussive trio in "Once More Last Time" (in which Juri Joensuu and Sami Virtanen lend a hand), the hypnotic slow-churning, a-climactic "Endless Shine," or the drony "Eternal for a While." This album may seem a bit random or lazy on first listen, but scratching the surface reveals very interesting ideas and a lot of organization — a composer's touch. What was mistaken as randomness is actually unpretentiousness. As is exemplified by the mute packaging, Keijo lets his music speak for himself. This is not something to bliss-out to or strum along with, but an album rewarding attentive and repeated listening. ~ François Couture, Rovi