Sensory Illusions II

The Sensory Illusions make a virtue of minimalism as play. In some ways, the music and compositions on Sensory Illusions II are spartan — guitar or piano, and tuba, converging on simple melodies and then wandering off in opposite directions, across songs that rarely break the three-minute mark. But within that, the duo of Bill Wells (who writes most of the tunes here) and Danielle Price do a lot. It’s no surprise, given the detail of Wells’s previous music, but the melodies here are generous and crisp, and the melancholy parp of the tuba is a perfect counterpoint for Wells. I like particularly how the album slips by, not unnoticed, but without needing to commandeer your attention, which suggests it’s supremely confident music, really. Pay some mind to Sensory Illusions II, though, and it’s a surprising grab-bag of riches.