Thea Gilmore - 'Harpo's Ghost'

Any album that mentions Mike Scott in the credits is bound to be worth a listen. Having one of the outstanding songwriters of a generation guest on your record would, in some instances, leave the original creator skulking in the shadows. 'Harpo's Ghost' is no such case. It's testament to Gilmore's mastery of words and the dexterity of her songwriting that the two tracks part penned by Scott are two of the more inferior on the tracklist. Releasing her seventh album aged only 26 proves that quantity does not necessarily detract from quality. Her first since her battle with depression doesn't attempt to disguise the fact that she's had a tough few years ("I've taken some pills and played with the hand I was dealt"), but this is by no means a morose record. The sublime Red White and Black and the poetic The List are lyrically superb, and the hidden track is good enough to forgive the few fillers within. [Finbarr Bermingham]