Hither Thither promises the world. The opening double gambit of ‘Don Quixote’ and ‘Po’ come charging at you like a steam engine – easily two of the best Irish tunes you’ll hear all year, they’re lyrically excellent, sonically daring and in-your-face energetic. Swoon-inducing, in other words. It’s a fantastic opening that leads into two equally accomplished tracks. Slower and more considered, ‘Sedalia’ and ‘Taloned Air’ are no less brilliant. All hushed piano and aching vocals, ‘Sedalia’ starts with the seductive line “you were the brains of the operation” and gets better from there. ‘Taloned Air’ is another delicate sigh that manages to keep soaring standards up. From here on, O Emperor follow this low-key route to lesser effect. ‘Don’t Mind Me’ is a mournful beaut, but it wears Lennon’s ‘Sun King’ and early Fleetwood Mac like an ‘Albatross’ round the neck. If the initial songs sounded like new love, as the album wears on, we seem to hit the post-coital state and the inevitable drift towards sleep. It still sounds gorgeous, but there is a definite drop in intensity. If they can seize their potential for an entire album, O Emperor are headed for greatness. Meantime, this is an impressive debut.
KEY TRACK: ‘PO’