Ten self-penned songs by Dublin-based singer/songwriter with tracks reminiscent of The Jayhawks and Wilco.
This is Niall Thomas’ third album, released on vinyl and download and a follow-up to his ‘Night Sky Blue’ from 2018. Making his recording debut back in 2013 with ‘Breathe Easy’ comparisons in the Irish media were made with Crosby Stills and Nash, and on ‘Night Sky Blue’ with John Martyn and Nick Drake. Niall had planned a follow up album to ‘Night Sky’ in 2020 but Covid intervened and the tracks remained in the can while he penned a new collection of songs – and taking a different direction.
This ten tracker was cut over five days at Transmission Rooms Recording Studio in Drumlish, Ireland. “Recorded there and then, concisely, and in short space of time. This was the album I always wanted to make,” Niall says. The two opening tracks have a sound and a feel that is closer to The Jayhawks, and Wilco in the 1990s, using a rhythm section of bass man and engineer Karl Odllum and Mick Cronin on drums on ‘Best Of Intentions’, ‘Not That Way’ who also feature on the heavier and riffing track ‘The Black Church’ which reflects listening to his older siblings Led Zeppelin, Tom Waits and Dylan albums – with an interesting way of meeting the devil.
Dublin children were told that if you ran around Dublin’s ‘Black Church’ (St. Mary’s Chapel-Of-Ease) three times at midnight (or sometimes backwards), you would meet the Devil! Thomas is also an accomplished guitarist which can be witnessed on ‘No Problem’, on the mellifluous opening to ‘Waiting For The Sun’ and ‘Witching Hour’ – a song about people now standing up to social injustice. His guitar playing on ‘Sunrise’ is intricate – as is a five minutes stretch out on ‘Fine Lines’ which ends with a Wilco style crescendo finish.
The tracks with the bass and drums rhythm section are the attention grabbers. Maybe a full album’s worth next time Niall?
