Aldoc: From Tallaght to Halle

Flute players are taking to the limelight with a new ease. Dodgy moniker notwithstanding, Aldoc (aka Alan Doherty, former frontman with Gráda) documents, on From Tallaght to Halle, a musical and personal journey that's unpredictable and adventurous, with (like all good travel logs) a tincture of boredom thrown in for good measure. The Irish-German reference points hardly do justice to the breadth of influences Aldoc reveals here, from Senegal to Finland. Ironically, a certain rhythmic predictability (bar the funked up Elephant Movement) undermines Doherty's inventive melody lines. However, his hunger for wide-open vistas is often met with a likeminded spirit of adventure at the mixing desk from fellow Gráda bandmate Gerry Paul, whose languid lyrics on If You Never Knew My Name inject this oddly intriguing collection with a refreshing nonchalance. aldocmusic.com