Lee McKinney. Many know the name, whether it be through his role of mastermind guitarist in Born Of Osiris, or perhaps via his jaw-droppingly gorgeous signature Kiesel guitar models. What regrettably eludes many, however, is McKinney’s solo career.
Having released his debut eight-track album Infinite Mind via Sumerian Records in 2019, McKinney has been active throughout the relatively recent renaissance of guitar-centric music. Yet, I feel that many overlook McKinney in favour of better-known outfits, such as Polyphia.
McKinney is at least in my opinion, one of the most underrated guitar legends of our time, and with his sophomore record In the Light of Knowledge, I foresee incredibly bright things on the horizon for him. Allow me to elucidate as to why that is.
Grandiose, uplifting and vibey opener ‘Crystal Song’ represents everything I love about instrumental, virtuosic music. Unspoken, infinitely-interpretable storylines are conveyed through McKinney’s purposeful and nuanced guitar melodies whilst harmonious synths and keys conjure prominent colours in the mind. If this wasn’t enough, I fell even further in love with this song upon hearing Australian producer and pianist Misstiq gracing the track. Man, what a way to kick off an album.
McKinney then moves masterfully into the eponymously-titled ‘In the Light of Knowledge’, a downright gorgeous companion to ‘Crystal Song’. Where ‘Crystal Song’ indulged me in faded-pink chromesthesia, ‘In the Light of Knowledge’ produces a more dusky, nocturnal palette — deep blues and purples come to mind when listening to this one with some responsive headphones.
The title track is beautifully arranged, with prominent, crisp bass fusing the song’s percussive and melodious intricacies together seamlessly. At least for me personally, the evocative nature of McKinney’s songwriting just makes the listen that much more immersive.
‘Stormrage’ is a classic McKinney track, boasting an Animals As Leaders-esque, hyper-futuristic intro, powerful Born Of Osiris vibes and some intimate saxophone playing. Meanwhile, ‘Haven’ is a less intense affair, with its slower, soothing pace and soaring melodies. Some weird synth choices are present on ‘Haven’ — the song has an undeniable Christmas feel to it, which doesn’t appeal to me quite as much as the album’s other offerings.
Track five on In the Light of Knowledge is unreservedly my favourite on the record, and is joint-first for my favourite McKinney song, alongside Infinite Mind’s ‘A Clock Without a Craftsman’. The sombre piano intro to ‘Vitruvian Park’ gets met with pulsating synth hits and ticking clock samples, a fitting nod to McKinney’s prior work in which clocks were a thematic centrepiece.
This track is paced wonderfully, with additional instruments joining the fray and serving the song superbly. Whether it be of sorrow, nostalgia or something else entirely, it is evident that ‘Vitruvian Park’ sits close to McKinney’s heart.
Speaking of pacing, In the Light of Knowledge is remarkably tight. Of course, one might argue that with only eight songs, it’s inherently going to be better paced than a twelve-song-plus record, yet, In the Light of Knowledge remains an incredibly fluid experience throughout.
Jaunty latecomer ‘Highmountain’ pushes one into a pensive state of mind with its highly animated lead progressions and utterly gorgeous modal choices. Together with the refreshing acoustic approach taken with seventh song ‘The Reason’, McKinney has expertly crafted a record that knows when to forego sheer technical wankery for genuinely emotive, responsive and well-considered music. Sometimes the vibes need to vastly outweigh esoteric intricacies to achieve just the right level of balance between accessibility and astonishing technicality, and that is certainly the case with these two delightfully chill tracks.
With closer ‘The Maven (In The Sky)’, however, we are thrown into one final foray of McKinney’s signature style — a djenty bloodbath of a track that would fit seamlessly onto a modern Born Of Osiris album. ‘The Maven (In The Sky)’ is Sumerian-core at its finest — the chorus contains undeniable Veil Of Maya vibes whilst the verses toy with proggy, polyrhythmic chugs that even Tosin Abasi would be proud of.
In the Light of Knowledge is a resoundingly brilliant little record. Sure, it might not be jam-packed from end to end with a duration of just under thirty minutes, and I completely understand why that may irk some. Nonetheless, I cannot overlook McKinney’s approach of quality over quantity here — each and every track is so expressive, and together they contribute to a more varied experience than Infinite Mind. If this record is anything to go by, 2022 is going to be a really fucking good year for music.
In the Light of Knowledge by Lee McKinney is available via Sumerian Records on Friday 14th January 2022, and you can purchase the album here. For all the latest coverage on the hottest music releases, keep it locked on Boolin Tunes.
9/10