Steely but subdued

This album is a landmark of sorts, being Sylvian's first solo album since 1987's Secrets Of The Beehive. The former singer with Japan took four years to craft this latest sonic sculpture, and has brought in of key-boardist/arranger Ryuichi Sakamoto, guitarist Marc Ribot and percussionist Talvin Singh to add some instrumental brushstrokes; Sylvian's wife, poet and singer Ingrid Chavez, also guests on vocals.

Sylvian fans will be delighted at these latest dispatches from the ambient fringes of rock, but others might find the soft, jazzy sound-scapes a little too new age-y for comfort. Sylvian is nothing if not meticulous - not surprising for a man who has worked with Robert Fripp, Holger Czukay, Jon Hassell and Bill Nelson - and Dead Bees On A Cake carries itself like a well-embroidered gown, catching the symphonic light on The Shining Of Things, and swishing in slow-motion through the elegant spaces of Cafe Europa.

The emphasis is more on the sound than on the song, each track distinguished by its intricately-woven musical patterns and individually-created atmosphere. Sylvian's voice is nicely subdued, maintaining that steely avant-rock archness which was Japan's trademark, but tempering it with a soft, shimmering tremor. Singh and Sakamoto's Eastern spice blends nicely with Ribot's rootsy slide guitar and Bill Frisell's dobro, while Sylvian teases out some subtle connections between different styles and cultures. It may sound like George Benson produced by Brian Eno, but there are enough undercurrents to suggest a wider vista beneath the polished jazz surface.