Written and arranged over a five-year period, this debut album from singer-songwriter, violinist and pianist Alice Zawadzki is a many-splendoured collection that pulls you in a myriad of emotional directions. With the gentlest pizzicato and gossamer-light vocal, the scene-setting opener ‘Ring of Fire’ draws you inexorably into the album's unique sound world. Two contrasting Sephardic songs, ‘Indome Para Marsilia’ and ‘Dicho Me Habían Dicho’, are both full of textural and harmonic surprise – the latter's plaintive duet between violin and cello (the excellent Shirley Smart) is especially memorable. With its painterly moods and gradual harmonic ascent, ‘Low Sun; Lovely Pink Light’ is an absolute standout. Capturing the moment of a sunrise over the tiny island of Strynø in Denmark, the backdrop of understated, tremolando strings coupled with the celestial wordless vocals of Emilia Mårtensson and Fini Bearman creates an almost filmic effect. Anyone wanting to check out Zawadzki's storytelling gift should head straight for ‘You As A Man’, whose twisting, serpentine course requires repeated hearings. The string-laden title track offers a touching paean to memory. It would be difficult to imagine a finer introduction to Zawadzki's music.