Three Cane Whale Idyllic Records****

Three men sit in an old Bristol church for 11 hours, armed with guitar, mandolin, bowed psaltery, music box, trumpet, harmonium, glockenspiel and lyre. Their mental pockets are bursting with tunes, of which 20 find their way onto to this unusual but enchanting instrumental album. Alex Vann, Pete Judge and Paul Bradley don’t buy into any one genre; their music can be traced to minimalists such as Steve Reich and Philip Glass, as well as folk and medieval dance tunes. It’s the trio’s understanding of the possibilities offered by this intriguing array of instruments that creates an almost cinematic sweep. One tune rolls imperceptibly into the next, creating waves of delightfully understated melody and rhythm. The glockenspiel that navigates the melody line of Sluice seems as natural as the trumpet which fills Postman’s Park. A minor but distinctive pleasure. See idyllicrecords. co.uk

Download tracks: Eggardon Hill, Sluice, Postman's Park