So I, Marcella Records ***

Dublin singer-songwriter Fiach Moriarty has been operating under the radar for so long it's a wonder his signals have been picked up by the antennae of any but those nearest and dearest to him. Moriarty, 27, is the kind of plying-his-trade artist who easily slips through the net in his home country. (Did you know that last year he came first in the annual Celtic Language Contest in Inverness? Yes, well, neither did I.) Such lack of profile could easily change with

So I

, a debut album of depth and courage, guile and wit. While he has yet to extricate himself from the influences that forged his songwriting style in the first place (we'd guess that early David Gray and The Frames were turntable favourites), there is definitely enough of the singer himself going on here to make So I such a worthwhile listening treat. Moriarty plays Whelan's, Dublin, this Thursday; attendance is recommended.

See myspace. com/fiachmusic

Download tracks: Wake Up Dead, Letting Go