Music Review: Malojian, Let Your Weirdness Carry You Home

Ever since Lurgan native Stevie Scullion split from retro-bluegrass folksters Cat Malojian, he's been steadily carving out a career as a creative force to be reckoned with.

Lauded by the likes of Gary Lightbody and loved by pretty much anyone who sees him perform, his Byrds and Beatles-informed melodies are truly exquisite. Hot on the heels of last year's Steve Albini-recorded This Is Nowhere comes Let Your Weirdness Carry You Home, and it's a self-produced collection of big tunes inspired by small-town life.

Partially recorded in a lighthouse on Rathlin Island, and aided and abetted by Teenage Fanclub's Gerry Love, Beck drummer Joey Waronker, Linley Hamilton and more along the way, the 11-track opus effortlessly proves that Scullion is a master of catchy tunes ('Hanging On The Glow', 'Ambulance Song').

Variously playful ('Beard Song' pokes fun at hairy hipsters), and tender ('Purity Of Your Smile' is a sugar-sweet ode to fatherhood), Let Your Weirdness has a wealth of great songs to while away the night. The title track alone is worth the price of admission; a shimmying '50s bop with stabs of fuzzed-up guitars, itÕs a delicious slice of Lynch-like oddness.

7/10. Out tomorrow (October 6th)