Amoeba

To expect anything less than excellence from ambient pioneer Robert Rich would be foolish. Watchful has a very mellow vibe that contains a multitude of depth. One can either marvel at the intricacies of each song or just enjoy it as a beautiful piece of ambient music. At times this album verges into a worldly gothic sound that could be more at home on a Dead Can Dance album, or in a meditation class. This is fine by Rich  he first gained prominence performing all night "Sleep Concerts" in San Francisco. While Watchful could easily put sleep crud in your eyes, the haunting pop element is like a minor injection of caffeine that keeps your head bobbing. This is courtesy of guitarist Rick Davies, who owes much to Brendan Perry for his delicate guitar sounds.