“The Salt Garden 2” is a 20-minute, 4-track EP from Fovea Hex, the Clodagh Simonds-fronted ensemble that count David Lynch and Brian Eno as part of their fanbase. Indeed there’s an ambiguous implication (or possibly a typo) in the press release that suggests that Brian Eno may have contributed something to this particular EP.

Simonds’ pure, folksy vocal ambles gently and plaintively over arrangements which blend acoustic percussive patterns with a selection of strung-out drones, synthetic chords. The electronics are beautifully understated, often only just present enough to detach the listener from the organic elements of the performance and give the whole affair a sinister touch at times.

The first three tracks are all strong, with a powerful emotional thread. Opener “You Were There” is the highlight, a strong sense of journey and scale being evoked in a manner that feels very cinematic. Final track “Piano Fields” does give a slight sense of being filler, just a meandering gentle piano noodling over soft chords and bordering on cliché.

Ultimately there are part of the EP which can’t escape comparisons to artists like Enya, and I know that that comparison will have people facepalming and complaining that it’s “just because it’s Irish” but it really isn’t just that. Like it or not, the slow, bold yet melancholy singing style over expansive synth washes, particularly on “All Those Signs”, reminds me of the barren Atlantic-swept landscapes west of Galway. It’s a stereotype but honestly there’s something in it.

It’s a strong and emotional EP that is rich in quality, and leaves you wishing it had expanded and evolved into a full-length album.