Co. Clare siblings Andrew, Patrick and Anna-Victoria Lynch are Lynshig, a self-described “Celtic progressive rock band”. The description is apt – the trio sound at times like an odd but quaint halfway point between Rush and The Horslips. “Impressions” is a three-track taster EP, barely exceeding the 13-minute mark and makes for an intriguing listen. While having diverse influences is always a good thing, the execution on “Impressions” is a little bit hit and miss.

Footprints shows right from the outset the band’s capability in blending their trad/folk and hard rock/heavy metal influences with its unconventional time signatures, layers of arpeggiated acoustic guitar and wailing guitar leads. The vocal performance on this track, and across the board, is full of bravado; with effective use of vibrato and frequent and full harmonisation. The tone for the whole EP is also set here, all three tracks are emotionally vibrant and light-hearted.

However, on the remaining two tracks, for all of the interesting ideas there are some moments that lose the listener. While the dramatic power chords that open Instructions For Use are attention-grabbing, and the spiralling leads played over the ethereal effect created by the layer of tremelo picked guitar are a nice touch, the retro metal mid-section is jarring. Likewise, Here At The Turn starts off strong with a bluegrassy intro that leads into a Zeppelinesque guitar riff, with bassist Anna-Victoria providing the EP’s best vocal – clear and strong with Sean Nós inflections – there is a time signature change to close out the song and while this is a welcome change, the track closes all to abruptly with no real feeling of even having built up.

The production also hurts the EP as much as it benefits it. While there are some nice layers of guitar tracks, the mastering at times sounds thin. The drums sound particularly compressed to the point of sounding blunt. However, some impressive vocals, musicianship and the sheer light-heartedness of the songs present keep “Impressions” from being a total dud. One may hope that on future releases, Lynshig will have refined their Celtic-prog sound.