Windswept (Soundtrack) CD

Here's a question for you: when is a "soundtrack" album not a soundtrack? Windswept, Italians Do It Better man Johnny Jewel's latest impressive full-length, does contain some music commissioned for the soundtrack of the new series of Twin Peaks, but also material composed with no particular film or TV show in mind. Of course, Jewel is a past master at creating emotion-stirring electronic music with a cinematic feel, so it's little surprise that highlights come thick and fast throughout. Check the tumbling synth-jazz of "The Crimson Kiss", the angular hum of "Strobe Lights", the glistening guitar passages of the impeccable "Slow Dreams" and the creepy intensity of "Insomina", an inspired fusion of experimental orchestral glissandos (see The Beatles "A Day in the Life") and creepy sonic textures.