Cardiff Castle Magic by Jimmy Jaygus

I have known Jimmy Jaygus for many years, so it was with anticipation that I sparked up my CD player and slipped in his latest EP. I was pleasantly surprised. There are four tracks, and they all show a strong prog rock influence (he'll hate me for saying that!). The title track is a whimsical piece of fantasy based around our favourite tourist attraction and is a good choice of opener. Old Cathays is about memories and how they affect us. The next track, Two Dragons, is based on the legend of Myrddin as told by Geoffrey of Monmouth, and is the most interesting of the pieces here. Finally we have Riverside, a darker, almost Goth piece about love and (possibly) regret.

Jimmy regards himself as working within the bardic tradition and that can clearly be seen by this EP. Two Dragons is obviously based on Celtic mythology, but Celtic themes can also be found in the other tracks. It's nice to know that in this age of commercialised pap, genuine creativity, intelligence and humour can still be found in music. I recommend this EP to anyone who likes folk/prog(!) rock.