Though the cover art might suggest this is Steve Roach going full-on goth, that’s not exactly the case with 2010’s Sigh of Ages. The liner notes speak of months of regular meditation leading up to the release, and there’s a strong feeling of a calming center being sought in how the music gently but not ominously sets a reflective, enveloping tone from the start with “Quelling Place.” Roach’s gift for seemingly simple constructions turning into entrancing moods remains paramount, and even what may seem a po-faced title in “Sentient Breath” suits the song well.

– Ned Raggett