by Tim DiGravinaPart two in the prolific Alpha team's Lost in a Garden of Clouds series collects another 16 slices of downtempo heaven. Devoid of vocals but littered with mournful strings, film dialogue, and NASA voice samples, the tracks showcase Corin Dingley and Andy Jenks at their dreamy best. Slightly more upbeat and beat-heavy than Pt. 1, the album features the usual, effortless, uplifting melancholia that only Bristol artists can produce. Quite surprisingly some of the tracks date back to Alpha's earliest days. These are the demos they played for Massive Attack to get signed to that band's Melankolic label. One wouldn't know from the lush modernity of the music that those tracks date back ten years prior to this collection's release. Chalk it up to the timeless nature of their songwriting and craftsmanship. Two particular highlights are sequenced back to back: the sweeping, groovy "The Things You Might Do 2" and the sad, µ-Ziq-like "Castlefranc." Some of these instrumentals show up other places in Alpha's discography with vocals, but Lost in a Garden of Clouds, Pt. 2 is its own beautiful beast. While the duo's full vocal albums might reward closer listening a bit more, these instrumental efforts are just as soothing and engaging.