Pop-rock doesn't necessarily have to rock to be effective. There are some pop-rock artists who would rather float, which is what Italian guitarist/keyboardist {$Giancarlo Erra}'s group {$Nosound} usually does on {^A Sense of Loss}. This 2009 release is best described as a mixture of alternative pop-rock, art rock and progressive rock, with a strong ambient electronica influence. Moody, atmospheric items such as {&"Tender Claim,"} {&"Constant Contrast,"} {&"Some Warmth Into This Chill"} and {&"My Apology"} underscore {$Nosound}'s desire to float rather than rock, and that approach yields appealing and very listenable results. No one will accuse {^A Sense of Loss} of being the happiest release of 2009; a dark, brooding, melancholy outlook prevails throughout the album. Of course, Italy has given us a lot of happy music over the years--happy romantic crooners from Napoli, happy dance-pop and house music from Milano and Roma--but the word "happy" never applies on {^A Sense of Loss}. Even the title itself lets you know that feel-good escapism is not on {$Nosound}'s menu. But musically, {$Erra} finds a lot of beauty in his melancholia, drawing on influences that include {$Pink Floyd}, {$Brian Eno} (a seminal figure in the development of ambient electronica), {$Tangerine Dream}, {$Porcupine Tree} and {$Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark} (OMD). And for those who realize that music doesn't have to push the smile button in order to be worthwhile, it is obvious that {$Erra} and his colleagues have a lot going for them--not only a highly attractive sound, but also, a talent for craftsmanship. {$Nosound}'s darker emotions serve them consistently well on {^A Sense of Loss}.