HMV UNPLUGGED: “The Acoustic Sessions” (HMV)

Cutting edge it definitely isn’t, but then does anyone really want to hear Pet Lamb or Flexihead beating the crap out of some defenceless tambourine and sawing acoustic guitars in two in an effort to replicate their sound for an unplugged set? (Please say no. Please.)

HMV Unplugged features fourteen Irish acts who share a certain degree of radio friendliness; some relatively unknown (Soon, The Quarrymen), some already well established in Irish music lore (Aslan, Something Happens, The Pale), and some who seem to have spent the last ten years wearing shades and flouncing up and down Grafton Street (hello there, Golden Horde).

All proceeds from HMV Unplugged go to the Variety Club Of Ireland, and protocol decrees that albums released in aid of charity should be handled fairly gently. Fortunately, this is a sturdy enough little creature to be able to stand on its own merits. Something Happens’ gentle ‘Are You My Girl?’, Aslan’s ‘Crazy World’, recorded before the song was released as a single and featuring an intro in which Christy vehemently proclaims it to be a ‘bloody good song’, The Pale’s typically infectious ‘Light Up My World’, and The Frames’ ‘Roger’ are all quite splendid. ‘Listen Sweetie’ isn’t The Harvest Ministers’ best song by any means but is still worth a few minutes of your time.

Some of the songs are ideally suited to a live format with minimal clutter; Don Baker’s exquisite ‘Lord Have Mercy’, ‘Mississippi Mermaids’ ‘World’s Too Small’ and The Forget Me Nots’ very short, very sweet ‘Elephant Man’ among them. Others - well, really just the Golden Horde - could do with more room to manouevre. But then, there probably isn’t enough room anywhere between here and the next galaxy for The Golden Horde to operate at full throttle.

Thank Christ.

• Lorraine Freeney