Q/Stano

Trallywaggers Loscann/ Strange Vibe ***

It isn't exactly Jedward jamming with Brian Eno or Celine Dion being produced by Steve Albini, but there's something of a surprise element here – veteran Irish sonic boundary pusher Stano collaborating on a bunch of tunes with former Lir guitarist and steady-as-he-goes solo artist Colm Quearney (aka Q). Initial head-scratching aside, the more you listen to this warm, open album the more you ask yourself, well, why not? The pair briefly worked together on Stano's previous album, Blind Sound, but this is much moreof a connective, mutually interactive record, where Q's innate pop sensibilities mingle with Stano's wholly accessible tonal deliberations. The fit and match proves to be quite effortless, with not so much a tense push and pull as a calm weaving of (ostensibly unrelated) styles that nicely knit together. See myspace.com/ stanoireland; colmquearney. com

Download tracks: Milly, Can't Find My Way Home, Country Under Water