House of Cosy Cushions: Spell

The musical project of Dutch-English visual artist Richard Bolhuis may have been instigated in Amsterdam, but it came to life in Dublin between 2005 and 2010. Three albums on (including a collaboration with Katie Kim) and the fluctuating collective have gone deeper into "art project" territory than before. It makes for an atmospheric listen (the off-kilter wheeze of accordion and industrial throb on the opener, Mountain , set the tone), but one that's difficult to endure in places, particularly on the atonal violin and offbeat rhythms of Black Bat Dance and the dense, nightmarish squall of Into the Woods. If the object of Spell is to unsettle the listener, it succeeds. Still, its musical purpose needs more focus and refinement amid the bleak, meandering cacophony in order for it to really weave its magic. houseofcosycushions.com

Download: Into the Woods