As is so often the case with domestic releases, Vyvienne Long’s debut album has been some time in the works. Long is best known as a former member of Damien Rice’s band, and her musical apprenticeship also included spells in orchestras and chamber music ensembles. A similar mix of sounds and styles informs the cello-playing singer’s debut album, and helps to elevate it from mere whimsical curio to something with surprising weight and impact. Long’s voice may be a little light and floaty on occasions, but the musical muscle that underpins her moves comes from a completely different bodyzone. There’s a robust swing and a sweet infectiousness to tracks such as Freakscene and Bad Move , with Long happily unwilling to play along with the strung-out singer-songwriter stereotype. A fine start to what should be a lenghty solo innings. Although Dublin-born cellist Vyvienne Long has been best known for her work with Damien Rice, that may be about to change. After completing postgraduate studies at the Escola de Musica in Barcelona, Long played on Rice’s ‘The Blower’s Daughter’ and toured America and Europe with him in 2003. During that tour she began experimenting on stage with quirky adaptations of popular hits and obscure classics. When she returned to Ireland, Long played her version of the White Stripes anthem ‘Seven Nation Army’ on the Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show. This led to its inclusion on last year’s ‘Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol 2′ where it was picked in several reviews as one of the highlights of the compilation. Long played her first solo gig in Dublin’s Mother Redcaps in March 2005, followed by a sold-out show in Whelans shortly after. Her onstage band is made up of three cellos, piano, double bass and drums to make a refreshingly original soundscape that defies categorisation. Aside from her solo work, Long also performs regularly with the National Symphony Orchestra and continues to work with Rice.