Someday

Though Someday is officially Clareman Jack Healy’s debut album, he’s no novice. Before spending a year with the Australian outfit Crash Politics in 1998, he had already been steeped in traditional music in his hometown of Miltown Malbay. And while Someday betrays none of these trad origins, it is clearly the work of a seasoned musician.

Unfortunately, the excellent production by Conor Brady and Bobby Boughton aren’t quite enough to compensate for the shortage of first-division songs on offer. The title track kicks off the album, Healy’s baritone in Bono-lite mode over a pleasant if somewhat tepid groove.

‘Planet Hi-Fi’ (the album’s second single) is a more engaging listen, but suffers from generic and inane lyrics which seem to have been plucked at random from a reservoir of remaindered singer/songwriter soundbites: “Turn it up with the frequency high/Throw it up hit me straight in the eye/Clocking it up on a virtual dial/Planet hi-fi.”

The album is by no means without merit; the Cohen-esque ‘You Said Hello At The Wrong Time’ is strong and emotive, and ‘Statue’ is a handsome ballad. The standout track, however, is ‘Lighthouse’, which sees Healy bring a surprisingly good Coldplayish falsetto to bear on a genuinely catchy chorus and an unusual, inventive jazz break.