Dubliner BARRY O'BRIEN cut his teeth with local heroes Peyote before immersing himself in the solo singer/ songwriter route. And, judging by the contents of his debut EP "Spark," it's already looking like an uncannily shrewd move.
Because "Spark" is head and shoulders above the sort of thing you usually asociate with an unsigned artist. The songwriting is sublime, the sound is urgent and fully realised and - while comparisons do raise their heads above the parapet - Barry stamps his presence all over these four beautifully-executed tunes.
"Cut Me Out" is the opening salvo and it soon establishes itself as dreamy, melancholic pop with a tinge of Mercury Rev in the guitar department and a languid, yearning vocal from Barry carrying the melody along. It's a haunting, chromaticically-inclined beauty and the occasional coating of ear candy (such as the weird, analogue synth) only serves to make the recipe more attractive.
Corking start and it's anything but downhill from there on in. Announcing itself with a maniacally souped-up intro, "The Strangest Game" has garnered a number of Elvis Costello comparisons and while that's undeniable, it's still a prime slice of funeful, new wave aggro that (to these battered ears) also recalls Graham Parker at his toughest and adds the sort of weird, cooing mini-korg sound Ric Ocasek used to slip into the early Cars records.
"Sisters In The Sky," by way of a contrast, showcases a softer, acoustic approach to Barry's oeuvre and here his love of Elliott Smith quietly leaks out. Having said that. it's also the kind of sadness-tainted beauty Andy Partridge excels at and with (I think) a mellotron filling in some extra colour, it has a lovely reflective feel.
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He finishes up with "Under The Waves" which is possibly the catchiest of the quartet. This time, the ghost of XTC again hovers with the brisk, staccato riffing, but with drummer Aidan O'Grady supplying muscle and invention and bassist/ producer Keith Farrell inserting some Bruce Thomas-style counterpoint punctuations, it soon transcends the sum of its' parts and comes on like unashamedly timeless power pop of the first water.
The time-honoured singer/ songwriter stakes is a hotly-contested steeplechase and many of the runners and riders fall at early hurdles. However, compared to the much-vaunted quirky Dublin-based contenders such as Damien Rice (intriguing) and David Kitt (woefully over-rated), Barry O'Brien is a breath of fresh air and a man who knows intrinsically how to cut to the chase of a powerful pop song. That he is unsigned remains a travesty, but creatively at least he's a rich man.
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