Ulysees

The spare, ethereal Ulysees follows a very distinct aesthetic, coming across more as a work than an album of songs. Introduced by the lyricless choral piece “Nest,” Nozuka’s warm tenor voice suddenly appears out of the darkness with the solo a cappella “Dreaming” before dovetailing smoothly into its lush companion piece, “Eyes Changing Colour.” Barely six minutes into the album, you’re wholly drawn into his world of Eno/Lanois ambient-scapes and distant dream-brother ballads. Accompanying himself throughout with gently picked electric and acoustic guitars and lush choral sections, Nozuka has worked hard to leave plenty of open space, often letting his guitar parts trail off just as the vocals enter and vice versa.

• Timothy Monger