Pure Moods, Vol. II

The first PURE MOODS collection of dreamy, new age-identified tunes was such a huge success that it demanded a successor. Hence, PURE MOODS II, which picks up where the first volume left off, offering delicate, highly atmospheric pop that crosses over into the Contemporary Instrumental sound without ever getting too Windham Hill. Vangelis' uplifting "Chariots of Fire" is here, as is Loreena McKennitt's neo-Celtic "The Mummer's Dance," but there are some unexpected entries too. PURE MOODS II reaches back to the '80s for the idyllic pop of the Dream Academy's "Life in a Northern Town" and even checks in with the British trip-hop scene, offering Massive Attack's "Teardrop." A consistent but varied effort, PURE MOODS II may surprise you.