Fast becoming a powerful name in folk, Navigator Records' latest release lives up to it's trademark boundery-bashing, edgy style. 'An Tobar' is inspired by the Isle of Mull, and celebrates the anniversary of Tobermory's Arts Centre of the same name.

If anyone ever wondered just who was responsible for Lau's lengthy "experimental" breaks, or as I've also heard it described "space-folk", you need look no further. Aidan O'Rourke's 'An Tobar' sounds very much like 'Lau', with most of the traditional musical elements removed. It's folk, but not as we know it.

O'Rourke offers his own re-telling of Lau's take on 'An Tobar' for the opening track. This 10 minute beast, offers soundscapes beyond the listeners wildest imaginations, though (for this reviewer anyway) sometimes beyond comprehension too. The 2nd track seems in a slightly different vain, lead by Catriona McKay on the Harp - we appear to be in different territory. Before long though, we're back to trademark O'Rourke. The arrangements do have a tendency to verge into complete mayhem at points, and occasionally stray from even the most tenuous definition of music. That said, these are not ramshackle arrangements. Indeed, they are some of the most complex I've ever heard. At points, it's a bit like a very early Pink Floyd album.

'An Tobar' doesn't strike me as an album that will be an instant commercial success, neither does it feel like something I would ever really listen to for pleasure. But that was not the intention here, and I suspect that 'An Tobar's' success will be the undoubtable influance it will weild on future performances of traditional music. For doing this within a scene which has a reputation for resisting change (by definition sometimes), I applaud O'Rourke.