It’s not surprising to learn that the sleeve notes for Mick Hanly’s new album metamorphosed into a full-length book (due to be published by Gill & Macmillan next February). Each of the 11 tracks represents the germ of a much bigger story, and the themes are major ones: love, bereavement, parenthood, the loss of innocence at childhood’s end. But don’t let that frighten you off; there are plenty of lighter moments as well, particularly on ‘Trying To Get To San Nazaire’. There’s also a long-overdue reprise of ‘The Crusader’ (as covered by Mary Black many, many years ago). Declan Sinnott produced the CD and plays most of the instruments; to my ears, his arrangements are a tad heavy-handed, but Hanly’s songs are more than powerful enough to cut through the wash of sound.