Its the New Year and everything is a bit drear and downcast. Amid those promises to curb the Christmas excess and cut back on all the fun things, a part of me has been hoping for something to become excited about, put the sparkle back, and here it is, the quite astounding debut album, T.E.A.R. from young Turk Barış Demirel trading under Barıştık Mı’.

Multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and, most of all, trumpet player Barış has produced a quite remarkable 45 minute slab of music. At times familiar, at others exotic, weaving together traditional Middle Eastern and Turkish Makams with the avant garde, the jazz inspired and shoe-gaze, breeds a heady mixture of the most intoxicating and beguiling music I have heard for some while. Something to be excited about, to return to and find new insights, sounds that demand attention but repays with jewelled musical moments. A veritable treasure trove of unexpected and uplifting delights.

Everything here is a joy; the guitar put through pedals and effects, the voice used  as an instrument in its own right, the drone-inflected keys but, oh, the trumpet! I had quite forgotten how affecting an expertly played trumpet can be, haunting, ethereal almost human. Others like the amazing Cuong Vu have this gift, as did indeed Chuck Mangione with his trademark flugelhorn.

Almost every one of the six tracks here is a style unto itself but yet the set hangs together with a remarkable identity and quality, defying any usual characterisation or pigeon-holing. A thoroughly absorbing experience, you can play the album through his Soundcloud site or better still buy it from iTunes as I cant work out whether or how you can purchase an artefact from the We Play label.

A single track can’t be fully representative here, but the cover of Sigur Ros’ Bíum Bíum Bambaló is no bad place to start, but do start, it’s a journey so worth the travelling.

My grateful thanks to the perennially wonderful Gold Flake Paint for the heads up