It’s always a risky move when an ambient artist transitions from experimental soundscapes to the more familiar territories of pop music. Eluvium is the moniker of Matthew Cooper, whose work is influenced by neoclassical musicians like Erik Satie and Philip Glass, and, more recently, takes its cue from Brian Eno’s work in the mid-’70s. Similies is Cooper’s fifth full-length and first since his breakthrough 2007 album Copia, which was a wash of lush, airy textures and conflicting emotions. On this outing, fans of Eluvium are introduced to Cooper’s unpolished baritone voice (think Ian Curtis), processed through a more traditional song structure. It all works surprisingly well, especially with lyrics that echo the mysteries of Cooper’s dream-like compositions. On “The Motion Makes Me Last,” Cooper sings, “I am surprised/ that shapes are for looking at/ and their colours create my mood/ I’m a vessel between two places I’ve never been.” Cooper’s work is still grounded in ambient sounds, but they’ve never been as absorbing or as revelatory as they are here. (Temporary Residence Limited, www.temporaryresidence.com) Jonathan Dyck
Winnipeg music & culture since 1989