Sleepers Union: Giant Spheres

By RUSSELL BAILLIE

(Herald rating: * * * *)

Sleepers Union is a sort-of solo project from Simon Maclaren, the one-time yelping voice and coruscating guitar of Loves Ugly Children, who then became a part of the seemingly short-lived Subliminals, a quartet which delivered the last great art-rock album that Flying Nun is ever likely to release.

Now, with a little help from his friends, Maclaren takes an even bigger leap into psychedelic, on an album that captures something weird but quite wonderful in its imaginative mix of playful pop, drone-rock and sundry fiddly bits in between.

Some, like She Seems Fluorescent, seem neatly spooked by the spirit of Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett, while it's hard not to hear the likes of the The Acrobat Transcends, Now I Am Dead or the incandescent title track and not think: Flaming Lips.

While on the likes of Psilocybin Boy, it can remind of the Stereo Bus, some of whose past members are involved in the studio and live incarnations of the group.

Sleepers Union make some strange demands along the way, but their labours have made for an enchantingly offbeat debut.

Label: Turbine