We entered the new year with the 26th album in the career of Brian Eno, one of the most respected artists of the contemporary music. His work throughout the decades would be redundant to present. Let’s just crown him the ultimate king of ambient music.
Just like Scott Walker, Eno has been focused on perplexing experimentation in which the style and striving for innovations completely take over control and eat any unnecessary content. The only exception is his collaboration with David Byrn on a great album Everything That Happens Will Happen Today.
His previous album, Ship, introduced a pretentious title track in which I had an impression like I am at some time-wasting exhibition of art installations in the C-rated museum. Still, that same album included a gorgeous cover of The Velvet Underground’s Frickle Sun, I’m Set Free. Needless to say, the cover has nothing to do with the original.
Reflections goes in the same direction as Ship. The only difference is that this time Eno’s mantra, a mumbling baritone, is missing. Reflection is a 54-minute long composition, best described as a prolonged track suitable for mediation or some type of introspection and autogenic training.
You know how that music sounds like, right? That is exactly what you will get from Brian Eno on this record. According to his statements, the whole thing was conceptualized as a coherent project (which can not be said about his previous effort).
Whether you use it as a substitute for sleeping pill, or you put in your playlist when you want to take a relaxing walk, this music piece is definitely going to serve its purpose. Does that make it an art piece worthy of praise? Hell no.
