Now based in Melbourne following stints in Dublin, New York and Amsterdam, the Birr singer- songwriter (and former schoolmate of Mundy) Roesy combines his career as a musician with art (painting) and graphic design work. Understated, pastoral, wistful and for the most part acoustic, the songs on his latest album owe a debt to a host of likeminded troubadours past and present, most especially the late Nick Drake and compatriot Declan O’Rourke (who appears here on guitar and vocals).
It doesn’t get more languid and dreamlike than ‘Forever All’, a mellifluous, late night, candlelit ballad in the style of JJ Cale’s ‘Magnolia’. Similarly laidback but buoyed by a light rhythm section, ‘Believe’ finds the singer stretching out more
on the vocals, while ‘Wherever I Wander’ recalls David Gray, with hints of John Martyn’s elliptical fretwork. Elsewhere, a string section backdrops ‘The Circle’, and the passionately wrought ‘Empty Cup’ wouldn’t sound out of place on a Glen Hansard setlist.
The title track comes across like one of Wilco’s more subdued offerings; a gentle shuffle, strummed guitar and a rolling melody once again fleshed out by strings. Both sensuous and heart-worn, ‘In You Come’ – a pleading love song – boasts luscious harmonies, while the gospel/country-ish piano ballad ‘Follow The Road’ completes this charming collection.
KEY TRACK: 'Forever All'