With Bill Stewart's uber-sensitive cymbals pinging sweetly over Matt Penman's steady pulse, this CD was never going to be dull. And with guitar and piano dovetailing neatly, the rhythm section is lean and free of clutter. In the front line, leader Michael Rosen is a fine saxophonist, with a strong sense of narrative and a round contemporary sound that he roughs up with a trace of grit and the faintest whisp of vibrato. It's just that forays into fast tempos are rare and the original compositions tend to be densely textured and somewhat convoluted – the title of the opening track ‘Architextures’ is particularly apt. Taken as a whole, the album needs a little light relief to really stack up. That said, each track stands up nicely on its own and all the solos bare a personal stamp. Warm-toned guitarist Lage Lund, who delivers a masterclass in clean articulation, sails over the title track and delivers the exact measure of yearning on ‘Hopefully’. Pianist Domenico Sanna is equally sensitive, and Ralph Alessi's brash and brittle trumpet is an extra voice for two tracks. ‘Safe as Houses’, with its updated beats and spiky brass, is the standout original; ‘Jacoby's Ladder’ a neo-ballad is less secure. The one cover, a lovely reading of “The Way We Were”, comes at the end, and is the album's highlight.