The third album arrives from one of Ireland’s most likeable exports.

It feels like CMAT (Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson) has been everywhere this year. Glastonbury, Truck, All Points East, Green Man, Tramlines, Jools Holland, radio sessions and so much more. Opinionated, outspoken, idiosyncratic and generally just wonderful. She is refreshingly honest and not afraid to stand up for what she believes in.

We have had a series of spectacular singles in the lead up to this album. ‘Running/Planning’ has those low-key country vibes she specialises in with the most gorgeous vocal performance. Despite the repetitiveness of the chorus it only seems to build in intensity. ‘Take A Sexy Picture of Me’ has had the biggest impact with its classical country-pop sound but utterly cutting lyrics that call out the hypocrisy of society. ‘The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station’ was the quirkiest cut but builds and builds throughout its five minutes and twenty-three seconds.

My expectations were high for this one. It is a very good album, I am not convinced it is a great one, though I might have to re-evaluate after a month or two. ‘EURO-COUNTRY’ is basically the modus-operandi for the whole album. It is a country music album, but a European one. The unheard tracks all drop into this bracket. This is both a strength and a weakness. It is thoroughly well put together and performed, and if you are a country music fan, you might be able to love the whole thing more than I am able to. Tracks like ‘Ready,’ ‘Iceberg’ and ‘Lord Let That Tesla Crash’ just don’t quite stand out in the way the singles did. It feels like we have already had the best of it and the rest is only very good rather than exceptional. With another artist I would probably be singing its praises more, I just feel CMAT has an absolute masterpiece inside of her and this one is not quite it.

Final track ‘Janis Joplining’ stood out more for me as it feels quite different to the rest of the album. There are no country appropriations here, the nagging piano line is surprisingly effective that opens out into a solid pop song.

This album is well worth a listen, and you will enjoy it. You might even love it. Just don’t be surprised if you feel a tiny bit short changed.