It takes time for Irish singer, songwriter and actor Eoghan Burke to release albums – seven years after 2014’s The Sky Went Low and the Sea Went High, Behind the Grey arrives.
It wasn’t his intention to title the record that way but, when Covid-19 arrived, its original title of After the End required delicate tweaking; as for the narrative tissue, Burke, a member of Galway’s Urchin Collective, writes: “Although a few of the songs were influenced by what was happening, a Covid album is one thing I don’t want to do.”
Perhaps that’s for the next album, then? For now, the songwriter offers songs and music that bring you on a hushed trip from late night to early morning. Inspired by a series of gigs in Switzerland and their post-show discussions as to the merits of focusing on words and vocals, the songs here were mostly recorded in a sitting room in a Georgian house in a Dublin suburb.
As such, there are no fanciful sonic airs or elaborate production but instead reflective, sometimes personal folk songs that mix the past (The Ballad of Tony Dunne, Clongorey Evictions) with the pandemic-oriented present (The Hand That I Seek).
The end result isn’t music that shouts for your attention – Burke would much rather persuade than pressure – but if you have a mind to it, you’ll listen and like what you hear.
fiarua.com
