Rain on a River Microlois Records****

Mike Smalle's incursions into pop-flecked electronica proved fruitful with Cane 141, but his new side project may finally provide the Galwegian with a mainstream success. Rain on a Rivercaptures the musical zeitgeist admirably and succinctly; the songs are vibrant and current, but not so faddish as to be disposable. Smalle brilliantly tethers his weightless vocals to the quiet electro-pop spring of Triple Trouble, nodding to the contemporary likes of Röyksopp, Lemon Jelly and Fuijya & Miyagi. Then again, the synth undercurrents o f Pop's Last Dancepoint to a misspent youth ensconced with Depeche Mode's back catalogue. Forget the influences, though: when you've got a song that beams as brazenly as Foxy Trot, lightning- suffused Irish summers suddenly don't seem so bad. See bmovielightning. com

Download tracks: Foxy Trot, Triple Trouble