Haftor Medbøe & Anneke Kampman – Places & Spaces

Anneke Kampman is the songwriter behind Conquering Animal Sound, Haftor Medbøe is a celebrated jazz composer and player with his own band. This collaborative union also features the talents of saxophonist Konrad Wisniewski, Richard Kass on percussion, and Andy Jeffcoat on synth. Taking smoky jazz songs and summery indie-pop as a starting point, the album quickly jumps off into the dreamy, fairytale realms of Kampman's elliptical, impressionistic lyrics, singing sweetly about “strings and cartilage” on opener Palms.

Her voice is sugary, but not in a 'pop princess' way – there are hints of the cloying menace of Megan James (Purity Ring); the breathy, experimental phrasings of Bjork; and then there are the more naked, fragile performances, which have a little in common with more traditional jazz vocals. Kampman is a great writer, and the band's minimal, complex, restrained playing never distracts from her fascinating lyrical excursions. Recorded with crystal clarity and thrilling immediacy, this is a beguiling, darkly charming record.