Nudie Books And Frenchies (the title of which will need little explanation to blokes who were teenagers in Dublin during the ‘70s and ‘80s) finds Christy Dignam & Co. in a nostalgic, contemplative mood, looking back on past glories with pride and a few regrets along the way. Setting the scene for what follows, ‘Frank’s Van’ the anthemic opener (with an acoustic intro inspired by their long-popular cover of Pink Floyd’s ‘Wish You Were Here’) combines late period Beatles and Bowie in equal measure, with a glorious chorus and a guitar solo straight out of the Mick Ronson school of rock theatrics. “Now I’m starting to remember all the days when I was younger,” proclaims Christy Dignam over a soaring melody, adding the cautionary lines… “and trying to make sense of what I did in anger.” Much of the rest of this ten-song collection is in a similarly rousing vein, with ‘We Will Rise’ and ‘We Did‘, in particular, destined to be lighter-waving, live show-stoppers. Likewise with the terrific, ‘Once Upon A Time The End’, where over a lo-fi piano Dignam calls up the spirit of John Lennon before the band ignites, transforming this passionate, bittersweet ballad into the absolute highlight. Elsewhere, the jerky guitar and Hall & Oates rhythms at the start of ‘That’s Just The Way It Is’ mark a slight departure from the template, while minor key gems such as ‘Wake Up Call’ and ‘Fall Down’ finds the band in a late ‘60s British psychedelia frame of mind, evoking the sounds and textures of the likes of The Zombies and The Move. The lion is still roaring. Aslan are back.