Concluding a six-album cycle, and the final one of three albums by the quartet within that overarching structure, this is as good an example as possible of the point that Gustavsen's musical development as a bandleader has now reached. If there's a regret amid this beautifully constructed and recorded album, it's that the band's qualities of careful contemplation hold Gustavsen's own playing in check, and there is precious little here of the magnificent pianistic firework displays that he can occasionally ignite in concert. That said, there's more joie de vivre and movement here than on The Well, the quartet's previous CD, whether it's the clattering drum groove of ‘Eg Veit I Himmerik Ei Borg’ with a serene melody floating above it, or the dramatic slow build of ‘Glow’ that reaches a complex interweaving of musical voices. The sense here is of increased confidence within the band's self-imposed palette of calm, occasionally prayer-like rumination. This is particularly apparent in the clean, almost soprano-like playing of Tore Brunborg, whose tenor saxophone occasionally hints at Garbarek or Coltrane, but for the most part remains very much his own – a lyrical, singing sound capable of delivering great energy – but often with the sense of that energy being latent, pent-up and kept for the moment of maximum impact. In concert, this quartet can be somewhat hit and miss. Relying on the setting to build a mood, feeding from the audience, and constructing sets on the hoof can occasionally lead to an experience that underwhelms. But there's no such problem here, the sequence and placing of the tracks makes it work as a dramatic entity, but the consistency of the playing also makes it an album that can be dipped into profitably. A concertgoing friend once described hearing Gustavsen's quartet at its best as the musical equivalent of an immersion therapy bath. That holds true of this album, too. Go with it, in terms of its restrained tempi, gentle, gospelly or country grooves, and occasional releases of energy, and you will emerge refreshed and renewed.