The Illusion of Grandeur Self-released***

Dermot Barrett is the latest member of Ten Speed Racer to pursue solo glory (Joe Chester and Terry Cullen beat him to it), and his newest endeavour isn’t too far removed from the pop-rock quartet. The singer and guitarist writes songs with strong heartbeats that flicker and surge in all the right places, but stop short of breaking any boundaries. His intermittent risk-taking does pay dividends on daring opener Daybreak, largely thanks to a helping hand from a host of Norwegian musicians who furnish the song with a gorgeous orchestral bristle. Barrett’s tremor of a voice is satisfyingly rich all the way through, but there simply isn’t a killer single among these 10 tracks. On the other hand, there are no illusions of grandeur here – just a solid, honest foundation for whatever comes next. See maskedman.no

Download tracks: Daybreak, Revolving