Myna BirdsOrphan Records ***

Irish musician and songwriter (and, latterly, integral member of Lisa Hannigan’s band) Gavin Glass has been around in various shapes, guises and forms for quite a few years now – as far as mainstream success is concerned, it seems to have been a case of “always the groomsman, never the groom”. It could be due to his preference to shake things up, musically, which is never a bad thing, but may give the casual or undecided listener a dose of the vapours. Certainly, Glass knows his stuff; previous incarnations have touched heavily on American roots and rock music (from Hank Williams and The Band to George Jones and Waylon Jennings), but here he rocks out somewhat, albeit still leaning on the shoulders of some noted US roots acts. It’s accomplished and seasoned, and while it lacks anything close to a killer punch, it is a detailed, upstanding collection. See myspace.com/gavinglass

Download tracks: Bleed, Prodigal Son