My first question on putting this C into the player and discovering it's TONY McLOUGHLIN'S fifth album was how on earth had I not heard of him before, followed by a desire to say thanks to the people who sent me this album to review. The second question was, is he really Irish? Most of his vocals suggest he comes from somewhere in the south in the States.
The opening title track pretty much leapt out of the speakers like a cross between Crazy Horse and Bob Dylan with the Band; great lyrics and some blistering guitar had me sold before I was halfway through the song. It grows on you as you let the lyrics sink in about how he wants to be The contender and then that guitar battles with the organ and what sounds like a radio announcer interviewing the contender: a song that should be a hit.
I Found A Star is more like Steve Earle channelling Merle Haggard: nice and laid back but with more than enough to keep you interested before the album then gets going and marries the two halves of its nature between the blasting country rockers and some softer stuff. The main, stand-out tunes like A Heart Won't Run make you listen to the lyrics as carefully as the music even as he's trying to avoid a fight in Keep Your Powder Dry. It's done with enough spirit to get the point across both musically and lyrically.
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For me, the best tune on the album is Harlan Road, harking back to his Irish roots and tethered somewhere in troubled Irish history, while played with a rollicking bar band feel like he's singing it while they are trying to keep the battling factions apart in the bar. A great tune.
The album closes with Tennessee Rose which provides a fine, lovelorn ending that is perfect fare for cuddling up to the one you love on the sofa.
This is a really enjoyable album that makes me want to find some of his earlier albums, especially the one that features Keili Keilhofer on guitar who used to play with Kevin Coyne.
Tony McLoughlin online
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