Manual: Bajamar

Don’t let the five songs fool you, as Danish musician Jonas Munk Jensen takes you through an eclectic, pleasing, and thoughtful 43-minute ambient landscape. Beginning with the title track that slowly builds, and I do mean slowly, Jensen’s minimal approach is an acquired taste. The title track acts more like an intro for “Celebration”, a vast, expansive, ethereal track along the lines of M83 or Vangelis. It’s like waves washing over you, with subtle but appealing undercurrents throughout. It has some fabulous ebb and flow, with “Reminiscence” settling things down yet further, and it could almost put you to sleep, its calming nature quite impressive, resembling a tide going in and out. “September Swell” is the centerpiece at some 15 minutes, bringing to mind perhaps Pink Floyd’s “Marooned” without Gilmour’s guitar licks, but with a slightly ominous conclusion. And the song just flies by perfectly. “La Torche” rounds out this brilliant piece of work.