The shadow of older brother Brian may always seem to hang over Roger Eno, but that doesn’t mean that the two brothers’ styles can’t coexist. Endless City/Concrete Garden is Roger’s latest release, and is his second collaboration with electronica group Plumbline. Much like his brother, Eno’s style is very minimalist, but his compositions take more cues from the ambient work of Harold Budd —especially on “Geometry” and “Back to the Beginning”—bringing forward the acoustic elements in tandem with the more electronic. Furthermore, Eno has always explored more naturalistic—sometimes even tribal—sounds, and such is the case on “Ulterior Motives.” It’s always rewarding to hear the work of Roger Eno, because like his brother and his contemporaries, his music is always engaging, thoughtful, and, at the very least, deeply relaxing.
