Album Review: Above And Below The Tide, Deeper Blue

Above And Below The Tide consists of Dave McLoughlin (guitar and bouzouki), Ray Coen (electric guitar, fiddle), Anna Houston (mandolin, cello), Bernard Tohill (guitar) and Collette Sheerin on flute and whistle, with all taking turns on vocal duties.

Formed four years ago, their individual CVs include stints with No Crows, Big Self and Blackwater Jack, so no L-plates are needed - and it shows in the confident playing on their second album.

Full-on opener 'Sligo Gunslingers' weaves acoustic and biting electric guitars and soaring fiddle around an infectious riff, with the ghost of Mike Oldfield hovering near. But those in the "Up with that sort of thing" camp will be disappointed that there isn't much more of it.

Soaring guitars take 'Seven Sisters' somewhere you might not want to return from, and you can practically feel the heat of foreign climes from the Rodrigo-esque guitar on 'Fistful Of Nettles/Dockleaf'.

There's also a deliciously avant-folk feel to 'Shore Thing', with its thundering, ominous strings. It's short, but never sweet.

Blending elements of traditional folk with rock, classical and Eastern European musical dialects is a risky endeavour. But Above And Below The Tide are more than up to it, and it's hard not to be enticed by the ebb and flow.

Deeper Blue is out now.

Rating 7/10