If there are any significant high profile awards for arranging this year, ones anyway that treat European artists on a level playing field with artists from the US, eco-themed The Waves Are Rising, Dear! will surely be in the running. The clever thing here is the way vocals and instrumental lines intertwine and manage to be experimental without actually exposing that intent.

Andreas Schaerer's voice (akin to the approach in the sense of deconstructing song pioneered by Theo Bleckmann) is as much adopting the role of narrator as singer and he shepherds the horn players and rhythm section skilfully through many twists and turns. Also interesting is the fact that Soweto Kinch's lyrics crop up on one of the 9 tracks and unusual to find his work on an album led by another artist. Perhaps we will see more of that from Kinch. Very much a concept album delivered in an unpreachy way, in terms of highlights turn to accordionist Vincent Peirani's guest spot and a gorgeously elfin vocal by Jessanna Némitz both on 'Embraced by the Earth'. SG

Out now on ACT.