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is the brainchild of Huw Evans, formerly more familiar here in Wales as a music TV and radio presenter, a musician who came to our attention with soft folklike acoustic plucking, and a big tour with Gruff Rhys last Christmas.

His début outing, A Cup of Salt on , is sold out now, but H Hawkline is back, with band, with a fuller sound, with a psychedelic array of songs.

H Hawkline

Live, H Hawkline have become a very different beast from when Huw first set off on his own and its like the Martin Carthy figure has morphed into 'when Bob whent electric' era Bob Dylan: all scrawling feedback, raucous noise, and childish swagger in the dynamics between him and band members (including the ever present and prolific Sweet Baboo).

I kind of miss the delicate H Hawkline sets of old but the vigour of the new outfit has certainly gained them a few fans this year at events like the Green Man festival and so forth. The album too is gathering a few nods and shakes, with Kliph Scurlock of Flaming Lips even tweeting this week about having the album on repeat.

The Strange Uses of Ox Gall is certainly not what it seems, for the fanciful title and almost mediaeval leanings of the new folk elements in his music, there's also everything else thrown in too: childlike ditties, samples, melodies, charming harmonies and a brain chock full of musical ideas. For what it's worth, here's my track by track review.

The album opens with a sinister sound of a creaky swing, and the nostalgic title Cofio (Remember) and falls into the simple, short, charming and childlike Ballast singing about noses, eyes and ears.

Funny Bones, with additional vocals by Cate Le Bon, is a slow-burner, again the childlike themes come into play, and the sweet innocence of the words, of playing jigsaws, is just magical - the plinky plonky keys adding to this meandering atmosphere.

Mind How You Go is another lullaby with harmonica weaving its way through the song, and the soft lilting Welsh accent sounding staccato, pronounced and slightly strange. Mediaeval in the same way Circulus was!

Big Red is a sampling wonder - I have no idea what's happening, again the childlike rhymes are present - confusing but mercifully short.

In Surf Pound it is indeed the pounding guitar perfectly blended with waves of Huw's voice which sounds rich and beautifully leads the track by its nose!

Giât, another skit, sounds like Huw is entertaining some youngsters.

My Dreams has a free and easy hippy feel, as I listen I'm imagining the raucous singalong at a gig, or campfire at a fesitval near you. It could be one of those expanding set closers that goes in many weird and wonderful directions. Devendra Banhart would love to add this track to his canon!

Sea Of Sand's thick reverb drenched vocals dance around the song, with a subtle guitar playing far off in the distance. Holiday vibe!

Two Ghosts At Sea is a quirky and perky instrumentation backing a melody drenched in sorrow - the contrast is lovely, and it's pure jauntiness.

You Say You Love Me. If I was a record company, this would be the first single. The song has a natural rhythm and structure, and a fuller sound than some of the more experimental tracks - it's lovely. My favourite!

Finally, the last track: It Takes A Lot Of Gall To Make Ink is another strange song. It's sample-heavy with mysterious ramblings over a drone. It finally gives way to another sweet instrumental between keys and acoustic guitar, a perfect end to an eclectic journey from H Hawkline. The strange sounds and atmospheres blend together on the album creating one perfectly lovely and wonderful listen, if slightly unsettling at times and yet mostly purely unadulterated joy in musical form.