Haunting fiddle-driven folk and post-punk ‘Celticana’ with fine poetic lyricism.
With his second full-length collection, Seattle-based Brendan Regan draws upon traditional folk and Celtic influences while tapping into his former life as drummer in a post-punk band. The result is an amalgam of rhythmic and melodic sounds that will delight listeners from across the musical spectrum.
Before committing himself to music as his main creative outlet, Regan was a poet, and this comes through in the lyricism of the original compositions. Finely crafted as the words are, Regan works first from his ability to create a haunting melody before turning his attention to the subject matter. Eventually, a thought will stir, and the rest of the song will take shape. Take, for example, the album’s opener, ‘Push The Tide’, which poses a dilemma between forcing the pace of life or simply taking a passive approach to events –
“No more late-night double life, pilfering time from kin and wife.
Lovely, but what would I amputate? And would my blooming come too late?”
Fiddle player Rebecca Lomnicky worked on Regan’s previous release, “Swivel”, and she’s back on “Phenomenal Consolation”, giving the album its distinctly roots feel. The combination of her string-playing with the percussion of Tyler Richart is a winning formula, with bassist Colin J. Nelson and organist Shadrack Scott providing understated but highly effective support for Regan’s vocals.
Six of the nine songs on “Phenomenal Consolation” are from the pen of Regan, with other contributions from John Vanderslice and Michael Stephens. Of the cryptic title, Regan says it describes his life journey, being full of unexpected twists and turns, taking a direction that was never anticipated, yet which has brought him happiness and peace. He recognises his good fortune and how many different facets his life has had thus far.
There’s also a traditional song, ‘Spancil Hill’, that tells of an emigrant from Ireland to California and his recurring dreams of lost love. With Regan producing and Cosmo Rossi doing the engineering and mixing, this is an accomplished album that will delight lovers of folk and Celtic music and provide the perfect accompaniment for a winter’s evening.
