New Blue Sun Review

It has to be taken on its own terms and on those terms it is fine. Recorded largely live with a group of excellent players, it is a set of long ambient improvisations built on flutes, digital wind instruments, percussion and drones, and the recording quality is exceptional, all air and room and no compression. The first piece announces in its title that this is not a rap album, which is the wittiest thing on it and also a shield against the obvious complaint.

As background it is lovely. As a listening event it asks for ninety minutes of attention and repays that with atmosphere rather than development, and by the fourth piece the ideas have stopped arriving. The lyrics grade is a formality since there are none, and it would be dishonest to pretend that is not a choice with consequences. A pleasant record from a man capable of extraordinary ones.