Palimpsest

For their third album, Three Cane Whale eschew their previous in-the-field approach to recording – an 18th-century Bristol church for their debut and 20 backwoods locations for Holts and Hovers. More conventionally, they settled into Real World Studios, with Portishead's Adrian Utley producing. And for the first time, they welcome guest musicians: Maaja Nuut on violin and cellist James Gow. There's even a piano on some tracks – a sizeable innovation for a trio that could hitherto pack all their tiny instruments into a trunk. However, a sense of continuity with their previous work runs through Palimpsest. Alex Vann, Pete Judge and Paul Bradley share 20 instruments between them across 21 pieces, which open with a peal of Judge's muted trumpet and present us with Bradley's guitars and Vann's flourishes and flurries on mandolin, zither, bouzouki and more.

Palimpsest retains the trio's delicacy of touch, while accommodating a wide-screen, cinematic feel. The song titles are redolent of place, space and spirit – ‘Standing Sun Fanfare’, ‘An Acre of Watery Light’, ‘Shadows on the Chalk Hills’. It's a beautiful, contemplative set, another jewel to add to the musical box of miniature treasures that is Three Cane Whale.