A graduate from Cork's excellent Fred Zeppelin's singer-songwriter night and a firm favourite on the city's live circuit, NIALL CONNOLLY's songs transfer comfortably onto CD to ensure his debut album, "Songs >From A Corner" is well worth investigating.
I've heard very positive feedback about his full band shows, though must confess to having only seen him at close quarters with just his trusty acoustic to date, though the quartet of musicians who flesh out his reflective, vulnerable songs (bass, drums, cello and co-producer Karl Nesbitt on a variety of flutes and percussion instruments) do an admirable job here.
Recorded in two sessions in Killarney and Cork, "Songs From A Corner" features ten Connolly originals and runs the gamut from naked, acoustic confessionals through to a couple of more forceful, ensemble-based songs (I'd hesitate to call 'em rockers) via the odd cool surprise en route.
The determined "Peel Back The Sky" kicks us off; a strident folk-rocker that recalls Richard Thompson, at least in its' driven lyrics, if not in vocal delivery and consolidates with "The Circus Clown", one of the highlights here, a stately song of departure, resplendent with lush cellos and gentle Celtic trimmings.
The reasons to believe don't end there either. "Lullaby" comes as a great surprise; a spooky, rhythmic invocation with a ancient, mantra-like quality. It even makes a didgeridoo sound cool. Wow! Then there's the sad, breathy "Old Post Office Lane"; an evocative, late night portrayal of Cork city that (for some unaccountable reason) reminds me of THE SMITHS' "Back To The Old House". Besides, anyone who can insert a line about "the stench of piss" into such a moving song is alright by me.
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"You Know Best" also grabs the attention with a fuller band sound and some luscious cello, offset against Connolly's vocal, which is just spot on, steeped in both spite and regret. The percussive "Return" acts as a good postscript, flute and cello intertwining to carry the album away on a high.
However, while "Songs From A Corner" is nicely poised, beginning and ending with a flourish, in truth it does sag a little in the middle. Despite some crystal clear guitar picking, "Echo Bridge" goes nowhere slowly and both "Did I Forget To Thank You?" and (especially) "You Know I'm Not Going Anywhere" are guilty of the kind of wimpy, lo-fi crimes that David Kitt so scandalously gets off scot free with.
Don't let that put you off though, for "Songs From A Corner" overall is unquestionably a debut worthy of your attention and a signpost pointing to fruitful times ahead. Explore.
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