Cian Nugent & The Cosmos – Born with the Caul (2013)

The first long-player from mercurial Irish guitarist Cian Nugent under the Cian Nugent & the Cosmos moniker, the No Quarter-issued Born with the Caul explores much of the same sonic territory as his elegant and deliberate 2011 solo outing Doubles, but the addition of a backing band (strings, drums, horns, base, and keys) goes a long when fleshing out Nugent’s evocative, contemporary spin on late-’60s and early-’70s progressive folk. A heady blend of influences both old (John Fahey, John Martyn) and new (Jack Rose, Jim O’Rourke), the ambitious and atmospheric, 3 track, 45-minute Born with the Caul impresses with its new school take on old-school psych-folk.

 The album kicks off with “Grass Over My Head,” a track that suggests John Fahey and The Band playing a New Orleans funeral, with mournful horns and fingerpicked acoustic guitar suddenly shifting into a beautiful double time rag. As good as that is, it’s only a preview of the glories to come. First up is “Double Horse,” a dreamy drone that conjures up the magnificent, oceanic swells of Fairport Convention’s classic “A Sailor’s Life.” A powerful, transfixing ride. Then, for the length of side 2, we’re treated to the massive “The Houses of Parliament,” a 23-minute song suite that travels from majestic folk rock to candy-colored psychedelia to Thin Lizzy-style boogie to pulse pounding raga rave-up as though it’s no big thing. It’s a lengthy journey, but not one second is wasted.