Espero is the third album from Limerick artist Mark O’Connor, who clearly has a fondness for the ’90s US underground. The influence of acts such as Slint, Pavement, Sebadoh and Nirvana is evident in the distorted guitars and howled vocals of this album, which should find considerable favour with those who like their rock raw and uncompromising.
Recorded partially in Vermont last summer, O’Connor has described Espero as “a break-up album” and to be sure, there’s blood on the tracks. As you would guess from song titles such as ‘Wakin Up In This World Without You’, there are plenty of demons being exorcised, and O’Connor’s intense vocals are a perfect match for the heavy subject matter. There are a couple of notable guest appearances toward the end, with the singer securing perhaps the most unlikely line-up of collaborators for any album in recent years, thanks to the appearance of, first, Limerick comedy outlaws The Rubberbandits on ‘The Ballad Of Diarmuid and Gráinne’, and then US alt. rock legend J Mascsis (of Dinosaur Jr fame) on ‘Roll Back The Years’.
It’s a testament to O’Connor’s skill as a songwriter that both collaborations fit seamlessly, with Mascis’ typically searing guitar a particular delight.