It's called On the Asylum and it feels like an organic extension and expansion of the musical landscape introduced by Music for Empty Halls.

The personnel are the same: Johan Lindström on guitar and pedal steel, Jonas Kullhammar on saxophones and flutes, Per Johansson on clarinets and saxophones, Mats Äleklint on trombone, Jesper Nordenström on piano and organ, Torbjörn Zetterberg on bass and Konrad Agnas on drums.

Once again each piece is unhurried, deep, lush, spacious, swinging and exquisite in execution. Lindström is a thoughtful and sensitive composer of beautiful, compelling and frequently cinematic pieces as well as a generous bandleader: there are more horn solos than guitar solos.

There are a few differences between the first and second albums, other than the natural evolution of the band itself and Lindström's writing.

The first one you'll notice is the inclusion of two vocalists. It's impossible to miss as the first track is a short number that's mostly a showcase for Elvis Costello reading an original poem, "What What". I found this to be something of an oddity. It doesn't seem to fit with the record as a whole and in my opinion isn't up to the remarkable high standard as the rest of the music. (The poem didn't do much for me either.)

The other vocalist is Sofie Livebrandt, who blends in seamlessly with the ensemble on two tracks, "Echoes Across the Dunes" and "Humming Ships", providing lovely and ethereal wordless singing.

There's also a harpist, Margareta Bengtson, on "Music Orbit Box", a heavenly and dreamy tune that's greatly enhanced by her contribution.

There's some noticeable use of electronics on this record as well, much more so than on the first one, practically an additional instrument unto itself. And in that vein, the last piece, "Worms of Underground", is four layered tracks of pedal steel guitar, of which some are making use of electronic manipulations and distortions.

It's a brilliant record with some of the best musicians in the world. We might have to wait three years for the next one but it'll be worth it!