Taking its title from a small town in Brittany, Saint Malo, is the soundtrack to a set of imaginary journeys, where the classically-trained Spaniard, Javier Jiménez Rolo, is your guide. A professor of music, based in Madrid, who cites a long list of influences, that range from the minimalism of Arvo Part and Steve Reich, to Burial, Caribou, and the pop of Dua Lipa, here Javier fuses classical, electronica, folk, and jazz. Acoustic strumming and picking, with the rhythm of spring rain, counters strings, bowed, plucked, and scraped, that swoon and sweep, romantic. Pizzicato patterns are pit against Americana fiddle. Wonderfully warm keys flutter, and float, surrounded by cycling, celebratory orchestration. The mood alternating between nostalgic introspection, and optimistic, forward-facing. Never is it melancholy. More skies clearing, bad weather breaking, glimpses of brighter horizons.  

These delicate, dancing, chamber music dramas, with their playful, uplifting, disregard for convention, can’t help but pull in comparisons with Arthur Jeffes’ Penguin Cafe. This is best demonstrated on one of the album’s highlights, the Italian monikered, Dolce far niente. While the electronics on the record are mostly unobtrusive, confined to a low, ambient, buzz and drone, this piece features a marvellous Joe Meek-esque Mellotron-like solo, mixed in with its mandolin and flamenco hand-claps. 

Saint Malo is out now, on Lovemonk.