San Francisco's Near The Parenthesis offers up a real lesson in restraint on his sophomore release Of Soft Construction, blending a sound that floats gently somewhere between Boards of Canada's nostalgic textures and Bola's euphoric, melodic style. The project of Tim Arndt, his compositions are as welcome as a light ocean breeze during a scorching hot day and seem to reflect the calm deep blue waters of the album's beautiful cover.

His gentle, undulating brand of electronica is laden with over-lapping, celestial melodies that ebbs with discreet samples of radio station crackles, chilled chatter and distant playground sounds.

Highlights are plentiful, from the sentimental "Open Sources" to the timeless "Mare Nostrum", a track that creates a feeling of being suspended and almost motionless. "Sitting in a Room" raises the tempo slightly, with throbbing synth bass and reinforced beats. But it is still gift-wrapped in gorgeous echoic chimes. Much of the album runs like this, with beautiful tones cascading like a waterfall amidst the soft rhythms, evident on tracks such as the dream-like "Trailing" and "The Language Explosion".

With crisp production, complimented by cushioned synth pads and lightly distorted samples, Of Soft Construction runs like a tranquil soundtrack for those who prefer to sidestep the hustle and bustle of everyday life.