A memorable piano-driven soundscape proves riveting throughout the The Smell of a Solitary House EP, releasing on March 8th from Htennek Niwsha. Spacious atmospherics and emotive piano arrangements intertwine with compelling success from the duo, comprising artists Ken Harrison and Ashwin Sood, who are also behind previously featured project PANToNE VU.
The EP’s title track captivates in its solemn, wintry piano tones — caressing with an atmospheric gentleness and sense of intrigue. An enchanting, starry-eyed quality takes hold instead on “My Soul is an Empty Carousel at Sunset,” where prancing piano evolves into a dreamily melodic shift just prior to the one-minute turn; this graceful, ethereal transition feels fit for springtime contemplation, comparative to the title track’s wintry introspection.
“The Metal That it Needs” shifts from the previous tracks’ piano-led ambience into a trickling momentum. Reflective piano and clanging effects, like water dripping in oddly beautiful melodic form, exude a steady and hypnotic glow; it’s a riveting showcase of the project’s versatility, from starker piano-driven productions — which resumes with the lush “Would Have Been Your Child” — to more experimental spaciousness in the vein of “The Metal That it Needs.”
The EP’s final two tracks stir with beautiful piano work, impressing in both the flow-y flutters of “What Spring Does With the Cherry Trees” and the more gentle balladry of touching finale “Fugitive Words.” The Smell of a Solitary House is an atmospheric, serenely enchanting success from Htennek Niwhsa.
