There are a handful of records that I put on if I just want to drown in texture, without being barraged by coherent lyrics or rhythms. Those records are Victorialand by Cocteau Twins, In a Silent Way by Miles Davis, Loveless by My Bloody Valentine, and this, Brian Eno’s first effort of creating ambient music that is, as he says, “as ignorable as it is interesting.”

In that respect, Eno succeeds tremendously. I have played this record scores of times, and usually, I proceeded to ignore its repeating figures and complete stability of dynamics, pausing periodically to appreciate the sound shining out of my speakers. And ‘shining out’ is precisely the right word here–this record is unobtrusive enough that its effect is much like turning on a lamp or a fan or some other appliance that changes the atmosphere of the room. And above all else, it is simply, effectively, and ignorably beautiful.