Andrea Keller formed Five Below in 2017 for her regular Monday night gig at Melbourne's Jazzlab. Their first album Five Be¡ow Live (at The Jazz¡ab) won the 2019 Australian Jazz Bell Award for Best Australian Jazz Ensemble. This, their second album, is a more considered affair, with guests McConnacie and Wilson adding variety and interest.

Opening with the 20-minute ‘Meditations on Light’, extended compositions, especially for small groups, can sag in the middle and solos can often outstay their welcome as inspiration drains, but Keller long ago won her spurs as a composer – solos don't wander off into the outback but remain short and respect the composer's intent. Keller handles mood, tempo and key changes masterfully – and so sustains compositional interest throughout which is spiced with occasional dissonance and abstraction. Guitarist Magnusson creates electronic textures that add an otherworldly dimension and in guest Julien Wilson, Keller has a world-class saxophonist at her disposal. There's a lot going on here that demands attention – the title track and numbers such as ‘Blip’, ‘Youth Unleashed’, ‘Suicidal Snails’ and ‘Dear John/Joan’, while ‘Life in Solitude’, another extended composition clocking in at around 20 minutes, allows Keller to again exert masterful control of texture and mood.