Keren Ilan - “Looking”
Photo provided by Keren Ilan
Vietnam-born, Israel-based indie-folk artist Keren Ilan has just released the captivating, and blissfully introspective track, “Looking.”
“Looking” feels exquisitely reflective and ambient in places, with textures tenderly embracing the composition, creating an almost dreamlike mood. Glistening acoustic guitar, delicate, weaving electric guitar lines, and warm, rounded bass paint a hazy, drifting, immersive soundscape reminiscent of the ambient-psych “Dream On” by The Chemical Brothers.
In the choruses, the track swells dynamically with the addition of drums and horn-like layers, evoking a vibe akin to the quirky, nostalgic, and whimsical world of The Coral. There are also subtle echoes of the criminally underrated Kim Jung Mi’s airy style, offering a pleasing nod to the wider psych folk tradition.
Keren Ilan charmingly enhances the sense of mystique around the track with a soft, almost floating vocal performance that feels as if it could drift away into the distance at any moment. Even when the track becomes more intense, the delicate, sleepily intimate delivery is maintained helping to bring a pleasing contrast.
Keren Ilan’s camp adds that her music is “largely written in exploration of her roots and identity, and a search for a sense of belonging. “Looking” reflects on Ilan’s journey of immersing herself in new landscapes while realising that no matter how far she travels, she can never escape her own essence.”