ED hARCOURT

BEYOND ThE END 8/10

Former Mercury nominee switches Furnaces’ fury for meditative, recuperative serenity

Though this is billed as his first instrumental album, Harcourt in fact compensated fans with a limited-edition solo piano collection on the day of Trump’s inauguration. A fantasy entitled Kakistocracy that envisioned the president’s impeachment, its delicate melodies were comparable to his eighth official release, which has a similarly escapist mood. This time, though, Harcourt ornaments arrangements, adding ghostly synths to “Beneath The Brine”’s Harold Budd-like stillness and mournful cellos to “Empress Of The Lake”’s quivering elegance. “Wolves Change Rivers” betrays his love for Erik Satie, but “For My Mother”’s reassuring affection is unquestionably his own.