Jane Ira Bloom - Sixteen Sunsets (2013)

Sixteen Sunsets is awe-inspiring and mesmerizing to behold. For Bloom, however, it is a departure from her past discs, at least those of the last decade. The sound is definitely more ambient and formalistic. Substance is, to an extent, sacrificed for the sake of form and this may be a source of dismay to some. One thing though is clear, at the hands of a lesser talent the material could have easily devolved into syrupiness. Bloom, thanks to her superlative musicianship (and to those of her sidemen), successfully eschews the saccharine and produces a lovely, captivating record that even fans of her bolder, more provocative work can enjoy.