Kormac: Doorsteps

It has always been the live show which has driven the wow factor around Kormac O'Halloran's music, and the debut album, Wordplay, appeared to have been constructed with that in mind. Here, though, it's O'Halloran's way with songwriting and arrangements which stand out. To this end, he guides guests like Irvine Welsh (paranoid ranting on the trippy Another Screen), Speech Debelle (fresh, righteous verbals on White Noise) Vyvienne Long (album highlight Drown Me) and Micah P Hinson (whose contribution to Get Up, Go Away amplifies the dark, uneasy feel of the track) with great aplomb through their lines. As he's moved away from the sample-delic cut-and-paste techniques which dominated previous releases, O'Halloran has shown himself more than capable of hitting the mark. And you can bet it will sound fantastic live. djkormac.com