PIAS Vinyl & CDs

Review: It would be fair to say that Melanie de Biasio may not be single-handedly keeping Belgium's jazz tradition alive, but she's certainly spearheading a revival of sorts. This third studio set arrives some four years on from her sophomore set, and 12 months after her most adventurous work to date, the 25-minute Blackened Cities. It's a largely upbeat and hugely atmospheric affair, mixing her usual Nina Simome style jazz workouts with drowsy, piano-laden torch songs, evocative accapella interludes and, in the case of the brilliant "Gold Junkies", dubbed-out, four-to-the-floor fusions of trip-hop and dark soul. Throughout, her superb voice provides a stunning focal point.