The Coronas have survived – and indeed thrived – for a remarkable two decades as a large home-based Irish rock institution, with a series of No.1 albums to their credit. Now, the outfit fronted by Danny O’Reilly deliver their eighth studio album Thoughts & Observations – and it’s jam-packed with rugged songs, straight-from-the-heart conviction and true-life emotion, all woven together superbly by producer George Murphy.

There’s a palpable, mature form of melancholy on display in the powerhouse opener ‘Speak Up’, as keyboards and synths mesh with pleading vocals and a catchy tune – with Graham Knox on bass and Conor Egan on drums making their presence felt from the off.

The pleasures of ‘Confirmation’, with rising star Jamie Duffy on board, have already done the rounds, its dreamy intro sliding into a wistful reverie about past relationships. The beauty of it is that it never gets sloppy. Danny O’Reilly doesn’t travel that kind of sentimental road.

For ‘That’s Exactly What Love Is’, the elfin vocals of Gabrielle Aplin arrive to turn her duet with O’Reilly into a marriage made in musical heaven, their voices separated across the void of a tough uncoupling as one pleads for forgiveness over cool keyboards that leave acres of space for heartache.

There are songs that we might need more time to learn to love, but ‘Singing Just For You (On Occasion)’ ups the tempo impressively, while ‘Unbelievable Scenes’ has pained vocals that deliver hope amid the challenges of real-world relationships.

I’ve heard it argued that in a world of climate change, Ukraine, genocide in Gaza and the housing crisis at home that love songs are mere escapist indulgence. But when they confront reality with the honesty of O’Reilly and his cohorts, you might equally feel that if we can’t get love matches right we’ve little hope of sorting out the rest.

One thing is for sure: the purity of intention of The Coronas sends all the right signals.

8/10