London based Irishman Keith Cullen has fostered some remarkable acts on his Setanta Label, The Divine Comedy, Edwyn Collins, A House etc. have all made outstanding records and while the recently departed Divine Comedy provided Cullen with his biggest commercial success, you cant help but think that the greatest jewel in the Setanta crown could yet prove to be Brian. Brian is essentially, soft-spoken Dubliner Ken Sweeney (the Brian moniker could be a tribute to the former bass-player of The Blades, a reference to those great Brians, Eno and Wilson or, my own favourite, an acroymn for of Buzzcocks Records In A Nunnery), who's just released his second album after five years and is to be frank gob-smacked at how its been reviewed so far.

"It's bordering on astonishment at the moment", he laughs. "You think that a few non-savagings in the music press will be your lot and then find yourself getting rave reviews in the Daily Express and five star write-ups in The Daily Telegraph, interviews in The UK times its all a bit sudden."

Bring Trouble was largely written in the Termonfeckin home of Father Ted co-creator Arthur Mathews while the other half of the team, Graham Linehan, funded the demos. The Ted connection doesn't end there: Ken appeared in four episoded of the series and he will be appearing in Kenny Live's Tribute programme to Dermot Morgan tonight. "It must look completely incestous to outsiders but Arthur and Graham are friends from way back and I've met the Divine Comedy through Setanta. It was just logical for the gigs Im doing next month to ask Brian and Ivor from The Divine Comedy to back me".

Brian's debut, Understand. was a reflective, low-key and highly personal collection of songs which in less talented hands, would have degenerated into bed-sit naval-gazing, but for Bring Trouble, he's gone for a glossier sound, which to these ears recalls the latter albums of Australian geniuses The Go-Betweens. "Yeah hands up, I admit, it The Go-Betweens. What a brillant band to rip off. I suppose the sound of this album is more glossy, so its getting played on the radio. I definitely didnt want to make Understand Part Two because after five years I changed as a person, thank God and sound-wise I didnt want to sound like another Big Star influenced band. Jesus arent there enough of them? So a record that hints toward The Blue Nile and The Go-Betweens was what I was aiming for".

We Close 1-2, Turn Your Lights On , This Kitchen 5am and On A Roll are definitely radio-friendly (the former has already been playlisted by Today FM, 98FM, and FM104 - Hurry Up 2FM!) but also exhibits some remarkable thought and twists, lyrically. "The kind of bands I love always give you something more than just a pretty tune, Ken says. The Blades, Miracle Legion ,The Stars Of Heaven and local act Something Happens - theyd hit you with a killer line when you were least expecting it, and I try to bring that to what I do.

Brian perform Turn Your Lights On on Kenny Live tonight and the thoroughly excellent Bring Trouble is in your shops next week. Do your ears a favour.
George Byrne