Courtney Bailey’s carefully, delicately crafted sound sculptures find a very much appropriate home on Music From Memory with this latest release, In Dream. It’s always an easy hit to say a record is aptly named, but that really is the case here. Simple variations on the phrase, say “in a dream” or “in dreams" tend to give the impression of being on the outside looking in or recalling an experience. In dream, though puts the emphasis on complete submersion in the thing itself. Feeling that dramatic intensity in full, not just a recollection or faded memory.

Track by track, this is very much that kind of record. ‘Kodou’ filters Bailey’s voice and juxtaposes it with discordant chimes and beats, very much pushing against traditional song structure and into something dripping with emotion and grabbing the listener from the off. The title track tends to a more meditative zone, self-harmonising over a sweeping backing of ethereal noise. ‘Kokoro No Koe’ is all whispered linguistics with a gently throbbing background that is still full of unexpectedness. ‘Burnt Moon’ drifts into ambient territory but still maintains the uniqueness of sound design that powerfully carries throughout.

‘Under the Water’ introduces some measured urgency through more abstract echoed beat work. ‘Like A Heaven’ probably is the most ‘accessible’, if that’s the right word, thing on here and will certainly catch the ear with its more conventional build work and dancefloor friendly vibe. It surprises though, with an acidic breakdown to twist expectations again. The song is a rhythmic high point that closing tracks ‘Swept Away’ and ‘New Journey' counter beautifully in their decelerating melancholy.

July’s ‘I Wanna Feel You’ showed some of Courtney Bailey’s handy club chops and displayed an off centre approach to music making that was worthy of attention. But ‘In Dream’ is the sound of an artist stretching out and pushing ahead into new territory. Tip!

In Dream is available from 30 October via Bandcamp