New Albums
BLANK GLOSS
Where the desert meets the sky
MELT KOMPAKT
8/10
Having contributed to Kompakt’s Pop Ambient series, Sacramento duo Patrick Hills and Morgan Fox join the growing ranks of those, like SUSS, exploring the emerging ‘Ambient Americana’ scene’s barren but beautiful landscapes. E-bow guitar floats over the pretty ripples of “Those Who Plant” and “Walking Toward The End”, while sustained guitar notes drift across the horizons of “Hollowed Out”, its spacious shimmers as expansive as any Daniel Lanois production. Brian Eno’s partial collaboration with Lanois, Apollo: Atmospheres And Soundtracks, is also recalled by “Rags” and “Virga”, while “Stained Glass” at times sounds like a New Age instrumental take on Talk Talk’s “Runeii”.