What is it about Irish rock bands and the west coast (of the US) sound? First we had The Thrills, doing a passable version of the likes of Crosby, Stills Nash & Young and others, and now we have Hal, a sibling-led quartet who also hail from Dublin and sound nothing like a computer. Instead they've taken their favourite bands and artists, The Band, The Beatles, Harry Nilsson, The Beach Boys (crystal clearly on the current single Play The Hits) and Buffalo Springfield and melded them into a guilt-free collection of retro pop rock. And while they might not rank among the band's heroes, there are echoes of Frankie Valli here, not to mention Christopher Rainbow (Solid State Brain).

Thankfully what isn't present is a hint of self-consciousness about the band, the sort that tends to manifest itself on records by other acts who want to sound like or emulate their heroes. There is an effortlessness - and a joyous one at that - to Hal's music. The late period Beatles-esque I Sat Down is almost perfect, as is Keep Love As Your Golden Rule, which ebbs and flows beautifully, building up and then slipping away again, much like the emotions it recalls.

Hal have been touring recently with the likes of The Thrills - no surprise there - and Doves, but headliner status surely beckons.