If Double Six****

Bill Ryder-Jones, who was still a teenager when The Coral released their first album, has flown under the radar since he left that band in 2008. He has composed the scores to some short films and occasionally contributed to other musicians' work, but the Liverpudlian's debut album properly validates his "prodigy" tag of yesteryear. Pitched as the musical accompaniment to 1979 novel If on a Winter's Night a Traveler, the poignant beauty of these mostly instrumental orchestrations is mesmerising, particularly on the Debussy- esque opener and the ghostly cinematic shudder of By the Church of Apollonia.Ryder- Jones also incorporates his indie roots on Le Grand Desordreand Enlace,recalling Elliott Smith on the former. The occasional marriage of classical and acoustic influences works superbly overall. A beautifully textured and sophisticated debut. See dominorecordco.com

Download tracks: Le Grand Desordre, By the Church of Apollonia