Copia

Following a string of increasingly remarkable albums, Eluvium's Matthew Cooper set out to broaden his instrumental palette, while maintaining the uncanny emotional resonance that has become his trademark. The result is 'Copia', an hour-long epic that applies Eluvium's heartache-inducing ether to a symphony of strings, brass, keyboards and piano. Noticeably absent but hardly missed are the washes of guitars that color most of Eluvium's previous material. The deliberate exclusion of traditional rock instrumentation serves as sufficient proof that the instrument is not Eluvium's driving force. At best it is a catalyst, a vehicle to that netherworld in the back of your head, where your life starts to uncontrollably reevaluate itself.

Matthew Cooper crafts another record of ambient music that's music first and ambient second, with a good sense of pacing and structure.

Eluvium - Copia review: A combination of all Eluvium work to date, Copia is Matthew Cooper's best effort, mixing melody with ambience in a perfect blend.