SI SCHROEDER Coping Mechanisms Trust Me I'm a Thief ****

It doesn't take very long to cop that you're in the presence of something rather special here. Irish electronica may be populated by a large and prolific gallery of enthusiastic producers and players, but few have yet demonstrated the wherewithal and musical smarts to pull off any kind of grand statement or big splash. Until now. You're ready to give Simon Kenny a standing ovation even before the second track on this beautiful, beguiling, dreamy album has finished.

Once half of hugely derivative Dublin indie act Schroeder's Cat, Kenny's new sonic adventures are far more interesting because he's working from so many different sketches. Instead of simply going along with the current electronic pop flow, Kenny seeks to make full use of all the music he can hear whirring around in his head. For instance, you can hear echoes of indie tweeness on Eyes-Wide, but this is soon blanketed by a bubbling sweep of see-sawing electronics. Elsewhere, Kenny's fondness for psychedelia and folk cause some fascinating shapes to develop, especially on Duck and C4.

Of the many gems here, the one you'll return to again and again may well be Lavendermist, a track that builds from a haunting drone into the most ecstatic swinger in town, complete with flutes and whistles. Doughty, confident and ambitious, Coping Mechanisms is an album you really must hear. www.trustmeimathief.com

Jim Carroll