Roger O’Donnell

Roger O’Donnell packs some powerful credentials, given his stints as keyboardist for erstwhile Eighties outfits such as the Psychedelic Furs, the Thompson Twins, and, most recently, the Cure. However, on his second solo album, O’Donnell’s synthesized doodling finds him abandoning the oldies and tapping into more celestial strata. Mostly it brings to mind the percolating sounds that swirl through the speakers at the planetarium, accompanying the resident stargazer as he gleefully sets your sights on the Big Dipper or points out Venus ascending in the summer sky. All instrumental, save three songs that feature the hushed vocals of Erin Lang (“My Days,” “Treasure,” “This Grey Morning”), it’s very cosmic indeed.