Album Review: Rónán Ó Snódaigh - 'Tá Go Maith'

For some, the Covid-19 pandemic led to a block in creativity. For others, like Rónán Ó Snodaigh, lockdown offered the chance to return to his roots with close friend and collaborator Myles O’Reilly. The Dublin musician and poet is known by many for being the lead vocalist of Irish world music outfit Kíla, releasing four albums to date. The frontman has chosen soporific soundscapes for his new venture with videographer O’Reilly, also known as ‘Indistinct Chatter’.

Tá Go Maith is ultimately about grace and gratitude. Rónán and Myles decamped to a remote cottage in Maynooth to curate the album, honing in on O’Reilly’s trademark minimal ambient textures and Ó Snódaigh’s gift for ethereal sound, acrobatic Gaelic lyricism and satin vocals. Ancient spirituality is mapped out through the medium of lush, organic sounds, synthetic tools and electronic imprints.

A dreamy sense of calm permeates the album, from captivating lead single ‘Tá’n tÁdh Liom’ and ‘Ar Ár Son’ to the beautiful ‘Yan Tan’ and ‘The Late Great Bold Edward Fitzgerald. Ideal for centring one’s mind, the often-wordless music incorporates the mythic energy of nature.

Ó Snódaigh bends the Gaelic language to his humble will throughout, while O’Reilly spins otherworldly synth magic in the background. Celestial and inventive; Tá Go Maith holds the Irish wilderness close to its heart and breathes light into a draining period of modern history.

Listen: ‘Yan Tan’
8/10

Tá Go Maith arrives today via Arbutus Yarns Recording Company