“In physics, the Casimir Effect is an electromagnetic energy drawing elements together,” explains Diane McLoughlin, leader of The Casimir Connection. “I thought it was an interesting metaphor for those magical moments in music performance.”

On their second album, the ensemble, positioned musically at the intersection of jazz, classical and folk, achieve plenty of connections. Given the constellation of instruments and the album title, you might expect a work of cool introspection, but Reflection, co-produced with Penny Rimbaud (among other things in a long and storied career, co-founder of the anarchist punk group Crass), is not quite that. There’s no percussion here, but the contemplative stillness and silence this creates space for isn’t necessarily always relaxed.

McLoughlin, who also plays saxophone with Alison Rayner’s band, has worked as a mental health counsellor and says: "In my sessions, I was often struck by the power of silence. Silence is a difficult place to be, but it is where you can find deeper understanding and a deeper level of experience". This was part of the rationale for not having percussion, she explains. "Although I love the rhythmic drive and textures of percussion, in this context I chose not to include it because I wanted those moments of silence in the performance, even though they may feel uncomfortable".

On ‘A Difficult Conversation’, the quartet even grapples noisily and restlessly with some awkward emotional material. But there’s also serenity and optimism here too – and all delivered with virtuosic commitment.