"arc of a clear night"

A beguiling mix of familiar, often much-loved songs (Bjork's "Hyperballad", Cat Power's take on "I Found a Reason", Francoise Hardy's "All Over the World", Nick Drake's "Northern Sky", Mazzy Star's "Five String Serenade", Joanna Newsom's "En Gallop"), unfamiliar songs from familiar artists (Smashing Pumpkins' "Believe", Bic Runga's "All Fall Down" (which is, incidentally, lovely, like all Bic Runga songs), Neil Young's "Philadelphia", Augie March's "o mi so li lon") and some that were entirely new (a pair of simple, sweet, affecting cuts, one called "All Is Peace", sung by Huong Thanh, and the other by a singer named Salyu, singing as 'Lily Chou Chou', called "Kaihukusuru Kizu", have particularly caught me), this is a mix cd put together by trang to evoke an idea and a mood - perhaps the night as idea and mood - and it really is very apt to that purpose; it's gentle, and drifting, and peaceful, and solitary, and its musical arc does seem to travel, fluid and sinuous, through a clear night from dusk to dawn - listening to it, I feel somehow more at peace.