Beauty distilled: from the opening intimacy of ‘Sunlight’, you know Home Now is special. Anjali Bhat’s disarmingly transparent lyrics celebrate the splendoured joys of a kiss while Beraha’s ecstatic voice, Muir’s Ravel rich piano, all pepped by Crowley’s sonorous bass clarinet flow together to create a gorgeous if not quite unique sound.

Because, as Muir happily admits, he’s heavily influenced by Norma Winstone’s trio with Gesing and Venier. But why not aim for the best? Bhat’s lyrics are not as elusive or dark as Winstone’s, there’s always a skip of joy there somewhere. Yes, there’s sadness in the title track but even as it questions where and what is home, there’s still a wonder at cities coming to life, at the spirit of people to grasp life even as it slips through their fingers.

And Beraha’s diction is nearer to Luciana Souza’s, as cool as it is sensual, as crystalline in structure as it is suddenly empowered to freely scat. As for Muir, his deep classical training underlines his impressionistic playing. He suggests more than he directs; he owns his authority even as he raises questions and opens doors, especially on cuts like ‘Balm’. Soothing, but never soppy, Home Now is a release of rare pleasures.