I was a big fan of Laila Biali's 2018 self-titled debut on ACT – for which she bagged Vocal Jazz Album of the Year at last year's JUNO Awards – not least for the Vancouver-born vocalist, pianist and songwriter's hook-laden writing.

This follow-up is even better, with the sirenic power of Biali's voice combining powerfully with the irresistible force of her storytelling. ‘Wendy's Song’ possesses a pleasingly widescreen, filmic quality, bolstered by a captivating string quartet arrangement and Lisa Fischer's background vocals.

A co-write with fellow singer-songwriter Sonia Johnson, the intimate delicacy of the waltz ‘Au Pays de Cocagne’ lingers long in the memory, while the album's sole cover – a loving interpretation of Gregory Porter's ‘Take Me To The Alley’ – highlights the lyricism of Biali's pianism. ‘The Baker's Daughter’ provides a further example of Biali's skill in limning an entire life within the confines of a single song. ‘Take the Day Off’ brings this dramatic, elegiac and moving collection to an enchanting close, unfolding like some childhood music box. The album's large cast of musicians, once again including Snarky Puppy members Mike ‘Maz’ Maher (trumpet) and Larnell Lewis (drums), all support Biali with musicianship of an immensely high order.