November 12, 2010

Album Review: Brian Eno - Small Craft On A Milk Sea (Warp)

A polished and assured return to solo recording, it's clear Eno's still got it

7 / 10 Once as renowned for his adventurous tastes in porn as for his constantly groundbreaking music, Brian Eno makes an unlikely elder statesman, but it’s a role he’s filling with aplomb these days. ‘Small Craft On A Milk Sea’ is a polished and assured return to solo recording – entirely instrumental and pretty much entirely electronic, it recalls Eno’s ’70s ambient work, although the serenity is broken up by glitch-influenced pieces that suggest he’s been paying attention to his new label’s back catalogue. Throughout, the production is intricate enough to demand repeated listening, especially on a decent pair of headphones. After all these years, he’s still got it.

Tom Hawking

Click here to get your copy of Brian Eno's 'Small Craft On A Milk Sea' from Rough Trade Shops.