Michael Cottone returns with his ambient project, The Green Kingdom, and although the 12 tracks in 43 minutes here are new, the aesthetics of The Green Kingdom remain unchanged. That is, seamlessly blended ringing melodies, soothing electric guitar swells, textures of lush synth pads, twinkling chimes, lulling acoustic guitar chords, delicate electric piano, subtle bass lines and gentle rhythms. Yeah, from that description you could infer 'New Age,' but 'Voyager' is beyond that. Inspired by the interstellar spacecraft of the same name, The Green Kingdom aims to take you on a timeless ambient journey that will put the listener into a state of cosmic consciousness without the clichéd trappings of the expected.

What I really love about Cottone's compositions on 'Voyager' is how effortless they sound...but anyone who has ever attempted to compose this type of music knows it is anything but effortless. Each track, from "Geomancy" in the beginning, to "Glacierscape" in the end stands on its own, but also forms a part of something greater. Melodies are subtle on the album but more omnipresent than you might realize at first. I think that it's Cottone's guitar playing that really sets this album apart. I've heard plenty of 'ambient guitar' in my time, but this guy just never ceases to amaze with what sounds like simple playing, but really is not. The real gems here though are the compositions, not the individual components. They are elegant, precise, and inspired, with nothing wasted, over-extended, or excessively repeated. Since the album was released December 12, 2022 (takes a while for things to get here from Europe, and my lazy reviewing schedule doesn't help either) I'd like to call it 2022 Ambient Album of the Year, as I've heard nothing better in this genre from 2022. I'd strongly recommend buying this. It's a limited edition of 200 handmade and hand-numbered collectible copies packaged in a lovely hand-stamped 127mm x 127mm 250 gsm orange recycled cardboard envelope with the front cover image printed on a Polaroid style photo paper and an insert sheet containing tracklist and information printed on a 120 gsm off-white recycled cardboard. It also comes bundled with a download code coupon and a Sound In Silence card.