Harold Budd & Clive Wright

Little Windows is the last instalment in a trilogy that began with A Song for Lost Blossoms and included Candylion. Keyboardist Budd (the "Godfather of Ambient Music") has a great ear for synth pads that, well, pad the sonic landscape with dreamy, wispy sonorities. "Procession of Moons" has sweeping, glissando-laden frequencies that conceal barely audible nuances that grab your attention, while guitarist Clive Wright creates simple multi-tracked motifs that keep things burbling along. "Queen of Cydonia" begins with some new age-ish spoken word and bluesy slide guitar over top of thrumming low-end synth drones; it's a bit more intense than your day-to-day ambient stuff. The rubato key melody is broken up by short percussive throbs, glistening, wind-chime-ish sounds and brief guitar patterns that extend beyond the listening horizon via deep reverb on "Drifting Cities." Budd and Wright are clearly in synch with each other's aesthetic. Their partnership seems like a win-win situation. Maybe a follow-up recording to extend to a quadrilogy?