Making one of those folk-jazz cross-over records that has very little to do with folk (apart from the distant sounds of acoustic guitars), Dragon’s out sees Ceitidh Mac in inspired form as she moves away from her traditional folk sound into new pastures.  Delicately lacing Dragons with an interesting, free-form, jazz rhythm pattern, there’s a good argument to say that this is, in-fact, neither a folk, nor a jazz record, but a modern advancement of early Portishead.  Layered down-tempo drums, soundtracked atmospheres, and the saddest sounding voice this side of the Tyne, Dragon’s distant, yet intense, evoking of public and personal challenges manages to maintain a breezy appearance with an undercurrent of fear and dread.  Cleverly produced, and with nods to various aspects of modern living, Dragons out is an interesting, and clever, piece.  If you don’t pick up on the dread through the audio, trying watching the official video, it’s all in there.