Nosound

The Italian composer/musician Giancarlo Erra is the genius behind this now-veteran band. They make albums that are delicately sad and celestially beautiful and roll through your brain like warm fog. "Afterthoughts" may be the best Nosound record ever - which is saying a lot - and in fact, I suspect it's what Death sounds like. If you must have certain sonic touchstones, one can certainly hear the influences of Tangerine Dream, Arvo Pärt, Brian Eno and Robert Fripp, and Not Drowning, Waving. But, where earlier works such as "A Sense of Loss" and "Lightdark" bordered on ambient music, the songs on "Afterthoughts" are just that - memorable and wonderfully crafted tunes. It's a remarkably consistent album, but the title track, "Wherever You Are" and "Two Monkeys" are spellbinding.

- RICK KOSTER