Rating: 6.5

Here’s the struggle with ambient music: it is asked to do two things that are entirely opposite each other. It needs to be engaging when it’s focused on as the center of attention, but it also needs to be able to drift into the background. As ambient pioneer Brian Eno more concisely put it, “It must be as ignorable as it is interesting.”

Inventions is a collaboration between Matthew Cooper, an ambient artist known professionally as Eluvium, and Mark T. Smith, of Texas post-rock giants Explosions in the Sky, whose music isn’t necessarily ambient but often achieves similar effects. This partnership tends to meet somewhere in the middle of both backgrounds, and their first release, a self-titled debut released last year, was a perfect marriage: 2.5 kids, dog, white picket fence, the whole deal.

“Maze of Woods,” their sophomore effort, is not as stable.

“Inventions,” their first album, was able to accomplish its disparate missions to great effect and it brought out the finest qualities of both performers. The sense of grand importance felt when listening to Explosions in the Sky translated to the ambient realm without error. Or perhaps Eluvium’s serene soundscapes fit snugly into a toned-down mold of post-rock’s epic scope. That’s the point: it didn’t feel as though either side compromised anything. They created something new that was adept to the point of instantly feeling familiar, even maternal in its warmth.

But a musician can’t try to make the same album over and over — except AC/DC; they do what they want. Trying too hard to repeat is artistically limiting and the end product doesn’t feel new because it isn’t. Inventions knows this, and “Maze of Woods” is different from and more ambitious than its predecessor. It’s a step away — not forward, but not necessarily back. Maybe sideways. Perhaps at a 110-degree angle.

It accomplishes Eno’s standards of ignorability and interest to varying degrees of effectiveness, the two sometimes working against each other, instead of in unison. The unusual drum rhythm, swelling synth strings and dialogue samples of album opener “Escapers” are an admirable effort in compositional variety, but are ultimately jarring, a shot in the foot at the beginning of the record.

“Springworlds,” the next track, is the best example of what this album could have been. The light twinkling guitars, sublimely low-key percussion and light haunting vocals work towards subdued excitement, not working against itself to disruptive ends. It shows perfect understanding of the balance between being the center of attention and knowing when to slip quietly into the background.

Imagine Inventions’ albums as observing two parties. The self-titled debut featured guests enjoying each other’s company, one of them making the occasional joke that got a few laughs, another recalling an actually interesting anecdote from last week’s vacation. All of the guests are aware they’re part of an event and are doing their best to serve their own interests as well as possible without defying social conventions.

At the “Maze of Woods” soiree, though, some had a bit too much to drink. They’ve lost awareness of how their actions impact others and are indulging their more disruptive instincts. They’re overreaching and putting a damper on the whole thing. “Maze of Woods” is still a party, but a few missteps, like the aforementioned “Escapers,” and “Slow Breathing Circuit,” which is missing a spark and sense of adventure, make it not as great as Inventions’ previous event.

For the most part, “Maze of Woods” is able to drift into the background and be ignored, like good ambient music should be. The problem is the relative lack of texture beyond the white noise. Or rather, there’s too much texture that gets in the way of the white noise. Instead of asking you not to think about it through carefully crafted action, “Maze of Woods” tells you to ignore it. Try to not think of a specific thing: it doesn’t work.