Musically and sonically, Shikiori is an intoxicating delight. Throughout the 12-song album, vocalist Sinne Eeg and pianist Jacob Christoffersen reveal a deep bond that has been built over a 20-year period of performing together. “Shikiori” means “a place to where hearts return,” which suggests why the duo recorded this album before a small audience in a 140-year-old Japanese farmhouse that was converted to an intimate performance space. “Hebi,” composed by Sinne, features a haunting melody buoyed along by the ebb and flow of piano chords lushly enhanced with voice and keyboard overdubs. The music for “Soba Flower” was composed by Christoffersen with Japanese lyrics by singer/songwriter Remi. The same piece is reprised as the closing track in a wordless rendition twinning the voice and piano in a calming and tender finale. Contrasting with the reflective songs is such swing-oriented material as “Better Than Anything,” where the duo ignites dynamically. Sinne’s blues belt on the word “love” at the end of the tune reveals just what an incredibly versatile vocalist she really is. On an album with no weak links, renditions of famous standards such as “Lush Life” and “But Not for Me” also ring fresh and true.