Expressive instrumental guitar melodies, fingerplucked treated string notes, ambient waves of noise, piano chords lumbering into minimal arrangements and terse dispositions.
Those are the kinds of things to expect from Island, the debut album from illustrator Barry Quinn. The Monaghan man’s music is less about creating a beautiful noise (though there is much of that here) and more about creating moods, sometimes uneasy like ‘Hoof And Horn’, or discombobulating atmosphere on ‘Evening Begin’ or the abstract ‘Return Home’.
That doesn’t mean there’s not positivity throughout: the fingerpicked guitar of ‘Sunridden’ is flighty and engaging, ‘Why The Blacksmith’s Face’ adds some John Fahey-esque guitar sounds to its beautiful middle section and ‘Can’t Reach The Pedals’ is akin to overhearing the heated conversation of strangers in a pub snug.
Island is out now digitally for €4 on Fallow Field Records. A cassette version with a digital download (€6) ships later in the month. Bandcamp.
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005. He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
Perfect chill music here.Reminds me of early Nick McCabe guitar in places