Although your reviewer perhaps thought it was more flawed than some, NIALL CONNOLLY'S debut album "Songs From A Corner" certainly possessed enough good songs to suggest that a notable talent was emerging from the fertile Cork acoustic singer/ songwriter scene.
Since the release of that album, Connolly's profile has risen considerably with incessant touring around Ireland and forays to the UK and Europe, all of which ensures that second album "As Tomorrow Creeps From The East" is one of the most hotly-anticipated local releases for some while.
So does "...Tomorrow" deliver on the promise? Yes, it does, for sure. It's a good album and at times veers towards very good indeed, although after seeing him perform a number of these songs in a live capacity, it's not the album this writer really expected him to make.
Explain? OK, well it's a matter of perception, really, but while your reviewer hardly expected Niall to entirely drop his sensitive acoustic material, he'd envisaged a slightly more polished pop album, and certainly a collection of punchier, more immediate songs, especially since recent EP "The Long Weekend" featured both the memorably classy title track and - in "Six For A Fiver" - Connolly's most aggressive and (arguably) best track to date.
In reality, "...Tomorrow..." reprises "The Long Weekend", but bar the catchy, Waterboys-y "I Will Come And See You Soon" and the excellent drama of "Last Page Of Winter" - framed by a fine vocal and Aisling Fitzpatrick's spooked strings - there's less of the upbeat treats than The Token Mellow Band's live show presents.
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Having said that, there's plenty more good things here. "Blue Chases White" features some of Niall's characteristically memorable city-based imagery ( sample lyric:"Cathedral is stretching right out of the night, ring all the bells and let dawn in"), while "Oil On Water" is perhaps his best ballad to date, introduced beautifully by tremulous piano chords and developing into a lovely, aching melody with gorgeous strings.
By comparison, the acoustic-based songs are rather more of a mixed bag. Certainly "When The Sun Is On Your Back" is haunting and the short'n'sweet, self-explanatory confessional "Grape Or Grain" is a nice post-script, but I'd question the wisdom of putting two fragile numbers like "First Names Only" and "A Shell In The City" back to back and opening the album with the slightly aneamic "What Are You Thinking?", especially when I know he has far stronger songs in reserve.
Nonetheless, "As Tomorrow Creeps From The East" has plenty to recommend it and makes it abundantly clear that this young Cork singer/ songwriter is going places. He's operating within himself here and still hasn't made the album I know he's capable of, but that'll come too and until then this will do very nicely.
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