The artist formerly known as Tadgh Cooke has covered many thousands of miles since his acclaimed debut Wax and Seal was released five years ago. This epic journey has involved more than one coast-to-coast, north-to-south US trek - both in his own right and with pals Colm Querney (Q) and the likes of The Guggenheim Grotto. No surprises then that this, mostly full-band affair, produced by David Geraghty (Bell X1), is steeped in the kind of Americana that fans of Elliot Smith and Ryan Adams will instantly find favour with.
There’s a late night, candle-lit melancholy to much of the material, especially on low key numbers such as ‘This Isn’t Easy and ‘Out of Reach’ - the latter a sepia-toned ballad of the kind Ray Lamontagne has been successful with in recent years (though there’s more than a hint of Paul Simon’s ‘Still Crazy After All These Years’ within the melody). The songs are in the main well turned out melodically, and Cooke’s ear for a memorable hook is well in evidence on tracks such as the soulful ‘Grinding Teeth’ and the jangly power-pop of ‘Not In My Nature’.
His soul-baring vocal style is easy on the ear, while lyrical inspiration comes from all quarters; ‘There’s An Elvis In Us All’ was part-inspired by Elliot Smith’s death, posing the question – “Wonder how I’ll end up - will I go that far?” The arrangements are understated and the backing, courtesy of players like drummer Kevin Brady and bassist David Redmond, along with guests such as Cora Venus Lunny (violin) is stellar and the whole affair has the feel of a relaxing evening in front of a crackling log fire.
KEY TRACK: ‘GRINDING TEETH’