The time, it would seem, is right for Nina Hynes to re-emerge with a new album. Always well connected in a Frames/Odlums/Chester sort of way, the Irish market is ripe for the taking by domestic names who have their act together.
In fact the only thing standing in Nina Hynes’ way is Nina Hynes herself.
Never the easiest of artists, she has hitherto always shown an indication that she would rather her music existed in its own little bubble than stumbling out into the wider world. Yet here she stands on the cover of Really, Really Do, shimmering in ethereal white, cradling a pistol and meaning business. The first single ‘Flutter & Wow’ too sees an upping of the accessibility levels, a strident guitar pop tune that threatens nothing less than mainstream exposure.
‘Somewhere Out There’ is more of the same, although the old esoteric influences are starting to creep back in. If they creep here, then the rest of the album is swamped by them, resulting in a record that's interesting for sure, just maybe a bit too interesting.
It is, in reality, more of the same – better recorded certainly but still hard work for the casual listener. Hynes has clearly found her own path and nothing looks set to dissuade her from following it. That mainstream world will obviously have to wait a little longer.