Tychonaut arrive on the scene with as impeccable a pedigree as any new Irish outfit of the last few years. Multi-instrumentalist Diarmuid MacDiarmada is a regular part of David Kitt's touring band, while Carol Keogh and Donal O'Mahony were the mainstays of the late, lamented Plague Monkeys, who recorded two excellent albums as well as the soundtrack to the Conor McPherson film Saltwater. Their new project named after a 16th century Scandinavian astronomer takes up very much where the Monkeys left off, specialising in moody textures, quietly insistent rhythms and Keogh's hypnotic vocals, which are capable of making even the most abstract lyrics sound laden with meaning. This debut album is an esoteric delight - and yet it feels more like a calling card rather than a full introduction to the band, since with just six songs and eight fleeting instrumentals it's a little on the insubstantial side. It leaves you intrigued, but wanting much, much more let's hope Tychonaut deliver it soon.

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