Windows

Originally released in 2001 on the Mole imprint, Lemongrass' fourth album Windows was re-released two years later on Water Music, a perfect fit for Roland Voss' brand of chilled, trip-hop inflected downtempo electronica. As with his previous albums, Windows is so smooth and subdued that it feels like a conscious attempt at making sophisticated-sounding background music. Some of the album's better tracks, such as the hypnotic "Tokyo 2," "Sunrise on Fujijama," and the drum-n-bass inspired "Lirabelle," allow more distinctive melodies and rhythms to rise to the surface of Voss' mostly placid music, but overall Windows functions as one lengthy, unwavering expanse of sound. Some of the jazz ambitions that plagued Voyage au Centre de la Terre return here, particularly on tracks like "Gipsy Moon," although Windows' renewed focus on instrumentals makes it a more cohesive and listenable effort than Voss' previous album. Ultimately, the album is so pretty and smooth it's hard to criticize: It's pleasant, slightly empty-sounding mood music with a hip veneer that meets the rather low goals it sets adequately, but expecting anything more from Windows is bound to lead to disappointment. ~ Heather Phares|