World music CD reviews

TÚCAN

Aliquot Strings

RMG Chart***

Sligo guitar duo Túcan (aka Donal Gunne and Pearse Feeney) run the gamut of flamenco, jazz, hard rock and metal on their hyperactive debut. They drill deep beneath the surface, using driving rhythms, amped-up melody lines and show a distinct impatience for anything resembling languorous pacing. Aliquot strings describes the use of strings made to resonate in sympathy with other notes. This collection is a cerebral tussle, and there's a sense of everything being tossed into the mix. Túcan are at their best when they open the air vents, as they do on Texas Floods. Spanish rhythms nestle most cosily in their repertoire, but Túcan sound like they're still sampling everything on the menu before deciding on a main course. Slivers of brilliance peep through this wired collection. www.tucanmusic.com SIOBHÁN LONG

Download tracks: Gypsy Thing, Texas Floods