SmileSunseT

Mark Mulcahy’s second solo album is surely going to win him more friends and admirers than even his glowingly-received debut, Fathering. And justifiably so, because SmileSunseT is a big, broad, warm-hearted, gentle and extremely lovable album.

Not since David Gray has a singer-songwriter so captivated me. And it’s not like Mulcahy is but one man with a guitar and a mission – the tracks on SmileSunseT are fleshed out with a veritable smorgsmabord of musicians and instruments, from Jane Scarpantoni’s beautifully understated cello to Scotty Love’s moog and from Doug Weiselman’s clarinet to Mulcahy’s own glockenspiel.

The arrangements, too, are refreshingly different. ‘Quiet One’ pulls you in one direction, and just when you think you have the song sussed, it grabs you by the scruff and drags you somewhere else entirely. Then there’s the baroque Tom Waits-ean music-hall vibe of ‘Until I Say So’, the off-kilter staccato mantra of ‘The Come On’ or the dream-like ‘I Hate To Needy Need You’.

Songs like the gorgeous ‘I Just Shot Myself In The Foot Again’, the tender ‘Wake Up Whispering’ or the endearing cosiness of ‘Alamo In Alabama’ are perfect to curl up beside, allowing their gentle charms to lap gently at the frazzled edges of consciousness.

The pick of the bunch, though, is the simple, stark majesty of ‘A Cup Of Tea And Your Insights’, where the singer alters his whole personality to try to win the attentions of a certain lady. Bordering on the confessional, without ever stepping over into the schmaltzy, I daresay most single males will recognise part of themselves in Mulcahy’s open, heartfelt narrative.

Emotive without being embarassing; melodic without dripping saccharine; knowing without championing elitistism; and honest without seeming

cloying; SmileSunseT is a wonderfully rewarding and rich album that leaves you with a slightly melancholy aftertaste and a warm glow in your belly.