A peaceful drift that never quite finds direction.

Brian Eno and Beatie Wolfe’s Liminal drifts in and out of focus like a passing dream. It’s calm, atmospheric and full of soft edges, but it also struggles to hold attention for long. The record floats in the same space for nearly its entire runtime, offering comfort through texture and tone but not much movement. It’s soothing music for a quiet moment, not something that asks to be listened to closely.

The opening track, “Part of Us,” immediately sets the tone with ambient pads and gentle, emotional vocals that sound like they’re barely touching the surface. It’s beautiful in a light, fragile way. “Ringing Ocean” keeps that same flow, mixing faint arpeggios and drifting tones that fall slowly through the mix. There’s something peaceful about it, and it is evident that both artists know how to make a sound feel alive, but it doesn’t really build toward anything. The same goes for “The Last to Know,” which leans into an angelic and uplifting atmosphere that never quite lands.

“Procession” is the first moment where the album feels like it has structure. There’s a sense of direction here, a few shifts that give it shape while keeping that same airy space. The delay and echo create a nice sense of distance without making it feel empty. Later, “Laundry Room” takes a different route with a spoken word delivery that instantly gives the record more personality. It’s simple, but adds a human element that most of the other tracks avoid. The closer, “Shudder Like Crows,” ends the record on one of its strongest moments. A mysterious, slightly uneasy song that blends Wolfe’s natural voice with vocoder textures, pushing and pulling between real and artificial.

Even with a few standout tracks, Liminal feels a bit too safe. It’s not a bad listen. It’s pleasant, warm and clearly well produced, but it lacks an emotional or creative spark to tie it all together. The weightless pads, hushed vocals and ambient drones are all easy on the ears, just not very memorable. As a piece of background music, it’s perfect for unwinding or zoning out, but as a full artistic statement, it never quite finds its footing.