Filaments Legal Recordings***

Whoa, mama, what's this I hear? Way, way, way, back, back, back in the day (mid-1970s), Liffey Light Orchestra had its origins in the pit band for the Dublin University Players. Clearly enthralled by Mike Oldfield's swathed, rock-orchestral work and other prog-rock acts, LLO became the first ensemble to perform Oldfield's 1975 Ommadawnalbum in its entirety. And then? Well, it would seem that punk rock well and truly buried them, and then, presumably, life just got in the way. Surprise, then, as Filaments– the ensemble's first recording in more than 30 years – makes for a belated encouraging hello. Still in debt to Oldfield's oeuvre (most notably via Anto Drennan's mercurial guitar lines and Paul Egan's nicely intricate keyboard playing), the album nonetheless strikes a valid claim for one of the better layered and textured pieces this year. See liffeylight.com

Download tracks: First Filament, No Road Back