Melting Cavalry Seti the first ***

Naming a unit after an Egyptian king (thanks, Google) might suggest a penchant for the arcane or esoteric, but in fact Irish musicians Kevin Murphy and Thomas Haugh have focused on delivering a refined blend of acoustic music that is neither wilfully experimental nor obtuse. Their instruments of choice are culled from the lower end of the string-driven section: cello, viola and double-bass fuse with percussion, piano, ukelin, flugelhorn and trumpet. The result is a forceful sound collage. Inevitably, it doesn't have the immediacy of a gushing pop song. What the album does have, however, is a kind of sonic propulsion that carries each track logically from start to finish. Perseverance is required, but good things come to those who bide their time, in the form of often thrilling soundscapes. setithefirst.bandcamp.com TONY CLAYTON-LEA

Download tracks: La Bassinette Noir, New Brass Bird, Sisters of the Red Diamond