Windings
	(Out On A Limb/CD)
	Alan Jacques

This mind-blowing debut release from Windings or Steve Ryan as he is known to his mum, is a wonderfully offbeat blend of atmospheric folk and lo-fi rock that never fails to charm. Windings, the side project from frontman with Limerick noiseniks Giveamanakick, is aptly titled. It is one of the year's most well-rounded and consistently satisfying albums marked by many twists and turns-meandering from one genre to another-making for a wonderful journey through the sinuous backwaters of this 26-year-old musician's creative mindpool. Quirky, spunky and really quite beautiful, this is pop at its finest. And although this lo-fi gem was made by an Irish singer/songwriter, armed with his faithful guitar and a few effect pedals, it owes more to Badly Drawn Boy's beatific, rhythm-infested melodies than Paddy Casey and Damien Rice's wishy washy, acoustic drabness. Ryan is as fine a purveyor of great pop music as you are ever likely to hear. He comes across on such tender anthems as Surrounded, To Follow..., and Old Days as a young Art Garfunkel locked away in BDB's bedroom studio savouring the unlimited possibilities of working with Pro-Tools. Windings' musical approach also lends this album a certain freshness as the more up-beat tracks such as God Knows (one of the finest tunes you are likely to hear this year), Princess and Postal, testify. Steve is no one trick pony. This he proves with gusto throughout the album as he hops, skips and jumps between genres: scuzzy rock on Is To Succeed; woozy electronica on Androids' Dreams; and sun-kissed pop on It's OK. With a satchel full of bloody marvellous tunes over his shoulder and a sense of adventure in his big, bold heart, Windings has blended everything from My Bloody Valentine's whitewash of warm, fuzzy distortion, Low's minimalistic and haunting vocal harmonies to Dinosaur JR's dirgey sense of pop sensibility, to create one of 2005's must-have albums. Windings is an incredibly ambitious debut and one that shows the work of a very talented musician and songwriter. The best Irish record in an age. We are not worthy!!!