To The Evening Child

Stephan Micus’s fifth album for ECM sounds so much like a lullaby that one imagines he became a father around the time of its creation. Each of his multi-instrumental albums highlights a particular voice, and in this instance, the steel drums catch the most sunlight. Micus also leverages his singing in tracks like “Nomad Song” and “Yuko’s Eyes,” the latter an emotionally robust vehicle for his bowed dilruba. Steel drums pair beautifully with unlikely companions, including the suling (Indonesian bamboo flute) and kortholt (a capped reed instrument popular during the Renaissance) in “Young Moon.” Cosmic doesn’t even begin…