Brian Eno
Small Craft On A Milk Sea

Small Craft On A Milk Sea is the title of the latest effort by Brian Eno, who chooses as personal collaborators Jon Hopkins on keyboards and Leo Abrahams on guitar; even the splendid cover of the album alone evokes a contemplative and relaxed atmosphere, confirmed by the first two tracks, Emerald & Line and Complex Heaven, characterized by soundscapes and piano phrases reminiscent of the atmospheres of Music For Airports and I Dormienti.

In the following track, which gives the work its title, some changes are noticeable, with darker and more mysterious sounds that culminate in the disorienting Flint March which, as suggested by the title, features surprising tribal and urgent rhythms with rapid and distorted bass lines in the background.

It is precisely Flint March that establishes the salient traits of Small Craft On A Milk Sea: it is short, rapid, urgent, like most of the other tracks, in which Eno still enjoys engaging in interesting electronic experiments, such as the addition of a scratchy electric guitar part in 2 Forms Of Anger, one of the best episodes of his work.

Episodes, indeed: except for Late Antrophocene, the final track that slows down the martial pace previously reached, the remaining tracks do not exceed 3-4 minutes in length, a typical soundtrack format, and although some tracks in their brevity serve as interesting transitions, others end too soon, making full appreciation difficult; this does not imply the absence of surprises, on the contrary, when listened to in its entirety, Small Craft On A Milk Sea proves to be interesting and intriguing with every track, precisely because of the apparently missing common thread among the various tracks, offering both surreal and dreamy atmospheres (Lesser Heaven, Written Forgotten being the best) but also more refined and dissonant sounds, such as the guitar starring in Paleosonic.

Overall, an excellent album, enjoyable and never boring, proving that the genius of Brian Eno still has much to say and teach; Small Craft On A Milk Sea will certainly not go unnoticed. It is not an album for easy listening, but with due attention, it offers truly unforgettable images and sensations.