Jazz award winners Acoustic Ladyland aren't out to win any chart acclaim or daytime airplay.
Acoustic Ladyland, despite the jazz categorisation, actually sound more Gang of Four than Radio 3, but they focus enough on musical madness and marvellous misadventure to avoid easy pigeonholing.
Skinny Grin begins with Road of Bones, a piano-led number that starts out sounding like Third Eye Foundation's lighter moments, finishes on a smooth sax passage and has discordant, loud hard-rock jolts along the way.
The same could be said for the disc in general - there are downbeat leftfield moments (Hitting Home), more traditional instrumental tracks (That Night), discordant pieces (New Me) and strong rock influences (Skinny Grin, Glass Angels).
There are misguided efforts - Cuts & Lies has an infuriating vocal and New Me isn't much fun to listen to - but the highlights, particularly Salt Water, The Room and Red Sky more than make up for it.
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