With Ghost

By turns breathtakingly radiant and heartbreakingly melancholy, Damon and Naomi With Ghost finds these kindred spirits joining forces to make the most transcendent music of their respective careers; the two units' celestial acid folk sensibilities dovetail perfectly, illuminating their shared marriage of intensity and serenity to mesmerizing effect. With Ghost's Masaki Batoh essentially assuming the production duties so long held by longtime Damon and Naomi collaborator Kramer, Krukowski and Yang's dreamily contemplative songs strike a perfect balance between earthbound humanity and mystical otherness; the record is both comforting and challenging, its placid surfaces masking poignant meditations on resignation, dislocation, and loss. A profoundly spiritual thread weaves throughout the songs as well; from the Buddhist chants that underscore "The New World" to the Jewish lore that inspired "Judah and the Maccabees," this is sacred music for the new millennium.