Oscar the Hypno-Dog and Other TailsHammertoe Records ****

With all proceeds from this album going to the non-profit Irish charity Dogs in Distress, it would take a cruel-hearted person indeed to knock spots off a collection of songs that extol the virtues of our canine friends. It begins with Cathy Davey’s rendition of How Much Is That Doggy in the Window?, which might be the epitome of twee but which is, conceptually, the entry point into a really terrific selection of original material. Highlights include the superb The Eh Eh Song (Cathy Davey); the odd, affecting Dog Baby

(Lisa O'Neill); the svelte Fur (David Turpin); the spectral Digging (RSAG); and the Johnny Cash-soundalike One Ear Up, One Ear Down (Haller Haller and the Hooligans). To all involved: take a bow (wow). No, seriously. dogsindistress.org

Download:Cathy Davey, The Eh Eh Song; Lisa O'Neill, Dog Baby; David Turpin, Fur