Newcomers aim to make the big league

The shortlist of 10 albums for the Choice Music Prize was announced last night on Tom Dunne's radio show on Today FM.

The prize is co-organised by music manager Dave Reid and Irish Timesmusic critic Jim Carroll and has no commercial input or sponsorship.

The winner of the inaugural event was Julie Feeney who, on the back of the subsequent success of her debut album, 13 Songs, signed a record deal with Sony/BMG. Last year's winner was Neil Hannon's Divine Comedy.

Reid said: "We're very satisfied that the shortlist contains six debut albums. One of the primary reasons behind the Choice Music Prize is to highlight new Irish acts in tandem with established acts such as Róisín Murphy. Our main hope is that all the acts will benefit from exposure not just in Ireland but also overseas."

The overall Irish Album of the Year 2007 will be selected by the judging panel (a dozen Irish music media professionals representing print, radio, online and television) at the Choice Music Prize event at Vicar Street, Dublin, on Wednesday, February 27th.

Among this critic's favourites to win are Cathy Davey's Tales Of Silversleeve; The Flaws' Achieving Vaguenessand Delorentos' In Love With Detail.

Long Distance Swimmeris Dublin singer-songwriter Adrian Crowley's fourth album and most certainly the one to drag him out of obscurity.

In the February issue of Qmagazine, Crowley's songs are described as having "stately melancholy with a glistening grace . . . The only way is up". With Tales Of Silversleeve, Cathy Davey - the daughter of composer Shaun Davey - has fashioned a record that is effortlessly tuneful and inherently smart. A bit dreamy and quite brilliant.

Louth/Monaghan four-piece The Flaws might not be reinventing the wheel with their brand of Interpol/Killers punk/pop, yet they have an unerring sense of melody and dynamics that most acts would sell their grannies for. It is a debut album of excellence.

While the shortlist ticks most if not all of the boxes, Irish acts notable by their absence include the wonderful pop-fuelled Weightlessby Juno Falls and the abrasive literacy of Captain Moonlight's Agroculture Pt 2 - Return of the Barnstormers.

The winning act will receive €10,000, provided by the Irish Music Rights' Organisation (Imro) and the Irish Recorded Music Association (Irma). They will also receive a specially commissioned award, courtesy of the Recorded Artists and Performers Ltd (Raap).

The Choice Music Prize event will be broadcast live on Today FM on February 27th. Tickets, priced €27 (including booking fee), will be on sale from all Ticketmaster outlets on Monday, January 14th.