Sufjan Stevens' output over the years has ranged from folk hymns, electronic compositions about the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, an alt hip hop team up and of course numerous Christmas albums. The multi-instrumentalist's last album proper was 2015's Carrie & Lowell, which was a stunning reflection on the life of his mother and the man who would become Stevens' step-father, Lowell Brams.

This latest album is a collaboration between Stevens and Brams, to mark the latter's retirement from their Asthmatic Kitty label. The songs are culled from collaborations from the two over a period of ten years, before being completed with the help of a range of collaborators including pianist Doveman and Steve Moore of Sunn O))).

Aporia is billed as a meditative, new age instrumental album. It mostly features warm, sci-fi synths that sprawl languidly over the record's 21 tracks. Stevens' voice only turns up on one of the tracks, and even then, it is barely there. It would perhaps benefit the album to have more moments like this, to punctuate the gauzy synths becoming too similar.

Nonetheless, Stevens is a master at song construction, and the tunes here are always inviting, if never fully captivating. The album could well sit in the background, soundtracking a journey to the stars, and indeed tracks such as 'Agathon' or 'Captain Praxis' should be in high demand for any filmmakers looking to ape the works of John Carpenter. Other songs, such as 'Afterworld Alliance', sound like ideas originally destined for Stevens' more maximalist projects Age of Adz or Planetarium.

Aporia is unlikely to become anyone's favourite in Stevens' catalogue. It is a lengthy experience, and the fleeting moments of brilliance can frustrate as they signpost to the more fully formed parts of his output. However, for an album made over a long period, it flows remarkably well, and shows the unique relationship between Brams and Stevens.

Out now on Asthmatic Kitty Records.