When Cian Nugent’s mother was recovering from a stroke and still experiencing difficulty with her speech, she kept repeating the phrase, “She brings me back to the land of the living”. The Dubliner subsequently adopted it for the title of his fourth album, his first in seven years, noting how these eight songs “act as a way of processing change and accepting new futures.”

Anyone who wants the instant gratification of three-minute pop songs can stop reading now. Nugent’s meandering blend of psychedelia, folk and Americana can take a long time to work its way under the skin, but if you have the patience, it’s worth the wait. From the reflective slide guitar of ‘The Sound Of Rain’, to the J.J. Cale-esque brush strokes of ‘Siamese Sharks’, and the easy listening ‘Dogs In The Morning’, there’s plenty to admire.

In contrast, the propulsive ‘I’ve Been Down’ builds up quite a head of steam, even verging on rocking out, while the fugue of guitars on the almost seven-minute lead single ‘High Up Airplane’, sounds not unlike Neil Young jamming with The War on Drugs.

‘Pass The Time Away’ slowly envelops the listener in its hypnotic embrace, before segueing seamlessly into ‘How The Time Passes’. Nugent’s six-string is here joined by beautiful viola courtesy of Ailbhe Nic Oireachtaigh, for a stunning instrumental finale.

8/10

Out now