A little while back, I had the good fortune to hear the Sliver Sands Guitar Quartet (SSGQ) perform in a small church in the historic West Australian Wheatbelt town of York. It was a beautiful, intimate experience – one that is easily replicated by this fine debut release.

It’s also no exaggeration to say The World in a Single Grain emerges as a tasteful and considered exploration of minimalist aesthetics and Australian musical identity. Moreover, the ensemble – comprising Jonathan Paget, Ingrid Riollot, Ethan Dorrian, and Craig Lake – weaves together a musical tapestry evincing intellectual depth and emotional resonance.

David Pritchard’s Stairs creates hypnotic temporal illusions through layered meters, while Robert Davidson’s Cliffs captures the majesty of Brisbane’s waterways with haunting textural interplay. Graham Koehne’s Bach tribute To His Servant Bach, God Grants A Final Glimpse: The Evening Star, resonates with particular poignancy.

Landscape and seascape also loom large throughout the recording, from Ian Seaborn’s aquatic reverie Gili...