Rain Tree Crow is at once a reunion, an experiment and a one-off, with the original members of Japan, minus Rob Dean, convening some years after their breakup to see if it was at all possible to work together again — which perhaps makes it not so surprising that after David Sylvian made it clear he didn’t want it released under the Japan name nothing further ever resulted. Setting aside the tight structures of their early 80s peak for more flowing grooves and reflective, sparer singing on Sylvian’s part, it’s a striking listen, if ultimately a path not taken.

– Ned Raggett