Clara Thomas is a new, up and coming Danish trio headed up by Clara Lieberath (Vocals, Guitar), Thomas Li (Keyboards, Programming) and Kasper Soderlund (Bass, Guitars, Harmonica). You might have already figured out that 'Clara Thomas' is the first names of two members of the band, not the name of a band member per-se. Like bands such as "Jethro Tull", if "Clara Thomas" takes off I can see some confusion with the name further down the road, but who cares about that, as long as the music is good, right?

Right off the bat, I was struck by the similarity between "Clara Thomas" and "Alisha's Attic", a U.K. band I reviewed in this very column a few months back. Like "Alisha's Attic", this band's sound seems tailor-made for radio play. "The Girl With the Strawberry Lips", the first single off the March-released CD, tends toward commercial Pop Radio.

Another single-in-the-making is "Whop Da Da Doh". On the surface I found this song annoying as hell. It starts off with a child yelling into a telephone saying "Hello, Hello . . . Answer the phone!" The music kicks in and the lyrics, like the title, are pretty assinine. But somehow I end up surprising myself by humming this song when I least expect it -- and I can't get the rhythm out of my head. Anybody who remembers a certain "Police" tune with a similar title to "Whop Da Da Doh" knows just how big a song with assinine lyrics can become.

Though some of the tracks on "Clara Thomas" have Kasey Kasem potential, I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that this band is a Top 40, mainstream group. There are plenty of tracks that come off well into the Alternative vein and others that straddle the bleeding edge of brilliance. Unfortunately however, amongst the good songs, there are some pretty boring clunkers that probably could have been left on the cutting room floor. I don't know what it is about some bands that see the 74 minute CD format as a challenge to put out as much music on an album as possible. If cut to 45 minutes by dropping some of the less interesting songs, "Clara Thomas" could be a STELLAR debut.

That said however, this is not a throw-away album by any means. Thomas Li's drum programming is nothing short of brilliant from start to finish. The use of interesting effects and synth sounds, as well as vocal distortions and samplings breathe life into some songs that otherwise would fall flat. Overall, half the music on this CD is great, a quarter is pretty good to so-so and the rest . . . well, it's just not my cup of tea.

From Celtic Prog Rockers "Tempest" comes a new project which features two of the band's members. "Caliban" is (as described by the duo itself) a "pure folk project". This is one of the finest Irish folk discs I have ever heard. Several tracks are traditional folk instrumentals -- no grandstanding nor any attempt to meld/fuse musical styles together -- this is as pure and authentic as it gets. The mandolin (Lief Sorbye) and fiddle (Michael Mullin) are played to perfection.

My favorite track on "Caliban" is a Richard Thompson composition called "Beeswing." This song epitomizes the traditional Irish story-song. In the space of a few short minutes a whole lifetime elapses as a man's love is depicted from sunrise to sunset -- discovery to loss to lament. This is a brilliant song both in its composition and its performance on this album.

Another great tune is sung in a foreign language. You might think on first pass that Sorbye is singing in Gaelic (after all, this is a Celtic album, right?) but the tongue is actually Norwegian. The song is "Jeg Lagde Meg Sa Silde." It's a centuries old ballad, re-arranged especially for this project. You might not understand a word he's singing, but the melody is gorgeous and the language poetic and well-suited for song.

"The Journeyman" is a song that seems well suited to be sung by a crowd in a pub. The fiddle-led melody is infectious and the Yo-ho-ho type lyrics just beg to be sung by a bunch of late-night revelers.

"Caliban" is a good, old fashioned Irish Folk album -- a risky venture in today's fickle music market, but a brilliant endeavor that deserves every break it can get. To anyone who enjoys Irish music (especially upbeat, Irish music -- there's too damned much depressing Celtic stuff out there today!), this CD is a must-have!