It’s a brave move indeed to make a label debut as introspective as Aldana does here, but equally remarkable is how 12 Stars manages it without ever feeling forced or leaving the listener overwrought.

Aldana’s first leader disc on Blue Note already feels like an album of the year contender. And yet, it never sounds particularly sure of itself. It’s a music of chattering sentences and few full stops; when layers are peeled away, its bedrock of quiet hums and snuffles emerges. Aldana’s sweet-singing high register has long been a strength of her playing, but here it takes on a vulnerable quality as fragility becomes a key theme. There’s a nervous energy running through the band that’s uncomfortable and thrilling.

‘Falling’ begins in turbulent fashion, tumbling immediately into Aldana’s bold harmonies and attention-grabbing soloing. Fortner and Lund’s concentration on texture makes for an intriguing sound – whether doubling Aldana’s melodies, or offering pale-hued accompaniment, there’s a definite decision among the supporting cast to leave the middleground empty. That’s the case even when presented with the simplicity of a song like ‘Emilia’, and knowledge of the melody’s origin (a lullaby to a daughter Aldana encountered in a dream) adds another emotional layer to music that already has the power to move greatly. The tarot narrative further intensifies things, to a level that most will fail to connect with, but if Aldana’s tarot processes continue to unlock these results, I doubt listeners will really care.