(Darla)

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Avant garde composer Harold Budd refers to his instrumental pieces as "art music," a particularly apt description, since his spare sense of melody and languid tempos somehow evoke sweeping natural landscapes as accurately as any master painter. Anyone familiar with the work of Erik Satie and Claude Debussy will have at least some frame of reference for Harold Budd.

It's no surprise that the 72-year-old Budd, who plays the haunting piano and synthesizer passages here, has worked in the past with kindred ambient spirits Brian Eno and the Cocteau Twins. The lovely guitar on Lost Blossoms, played by British ex-pat Clive Wright, might be news to anyone who remembers his overcooked '80s synth-pop outfit, Cock Robin. With over 30 albums under his belt, including several since his premature 2004 "retirement," Budd has found a real ally in Wright, also his neighbor in Joshua Tree, Calif., on the edge of the breathtaking desert park/national monument of the same name.

One word of caution about this hypnotic music: It's not advised for long drives in the car, especially late at night. You may think California is a laid-back place, but the Highway Patrol here will not take kindly to you improving your feng shui by letting your chi flow to the point of nodding off behind the wheel.

Standout Tracks: "Pensive Aphrodite," "Blind Flowers" JUD COST