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SOUNDS GOOD Andrew Lambert Danny Wilson Paddy Han
na Imagine I’m Hoping [Strange Brew] Anna-Mieke Theatre [Nettwerk Music Group] No small part of Paddy Hanna’s charm has always been down to the fact he seemed something of a man out of time. Plainly enamoured and earnestly evocative as his work is of the crystalline songcraft meets misty-eyed emotion associated with a generation of ‘they don’t make ‘em like that anymore’; rightly beloved but perhaps terminally unhip song and dance men. Hanna’s peculiar alchemy is the sense of something like mania he lends to his songs and the sparks created when that harder edge rubs against the silkier ‘60s sonics, sweeping strings and grandiose horn flourishes found across his oeuvre. Imagine I’m Hoping is Hanna’s third with producer Daniel Fox. A collaboration that continues to build momentum, as with each release Hanna displays a further comfort and even zeal with the use of the studio as instrument. Imagine...is rich with minor miracles in selection of instrumentation and tone, never failing to do something interesting. This is, of course, not even to speak of Hanna’s voice. A gifted crooner, belter, yelper, warbler and wailer - the man has an immediately recognisable timbre yet remains gleefully elastic. From the outside seemingly letting the song dictate who is stepping to the mic for any given number. A particularly choice set of falsetto heavy cuts leave Imagine… almost feeling like Hanna’s Soul record? But that would be to ignore the harmonica drenched Country on show or the giddy Vaudevillian diversions or the Scott Walker indebted ballads or any of the other wonderful shades of Hanna’s most confident and colourful release. DW Typically when an artist releases their sophomore album, you may hope to hear a change in direction or noticeable shift in approach as they enter the second phase of their career. When it comes to Anna-Mieke though, it’s tempting to simply crave more of the finely woven folk tapestries the Wicklow native originally treated us to on divine 2020 debut Idle Mind, a rare record which seemingly offered a fully formed version of its artist on arrival. Yet what we are gifted with Theatre is a true blessing - another ethereal collection of majestic fairytales and dreamy soundscapes, but one which also differentiates itself from its successor with a gentle sonic progression and greater narrative depth. Warm and vivid acoustic ballads such as Twin and Mannequin still possess the same sparse beauty as Idle Mind’s finest moments, while Coralline and Salt introduce a delicate layer of horns and strings to offer an even richer backdrop for Mieke’s extraordinary vocals, with influences drawn as far and wide as West African kora and traditional Brazilian dance to achieve Theatre’s peculiar twist on alternative folk. It is unquestionably Anna-Mieke’s voice which remains the show stealer however, notwithstanding the gorgeous instrumental palette that Theatre develops across eight enchanting tracks. Lyrically inspired by the Jane Kenyon poem Otherwise, Anna-Mieke writes warmly about dreams, death, nostalgia and family throughout Theatre, but the key experience here is one of sensation over narrative, with Mieke’s ability to transport listeners to another dimension remaining borderline supernatural on this sublime sequel. AL CLICK IT OUT… 44 Akrobat Jammed Space Movement [Jammed Records] It doesn’t take too long to integrate yourself into the wild world of Jammed Space Movement, the avant-garde, genre-defying debut LP from Dublinbased sextet Akrobat. With a chaotic mix of styles traversed throughout nearly a full hour that encapsulates art rock, jazz funk, new wave and so much more inside ten wacky jams, you’d be forgiven for proceeding with an element of caution into this dizzying blend of sounds. If you’re feeling overwhelmed though, don’t fear – the sheer scale of this offbeat musical escapade is offset by just how smoothly these tunes go down. Akrobat’s undeniably entertaining and engaging take on each genre they inhabit is mostly a pleasure to behold throughout Jammed Space Movement. Highlights range from the charming retro-pop of Eskimo to Air Station’s funky baroque-rock blast immediately after, and there’s a bold sense of adventure that can only be admired in Akrobat’s stubborn refusal to pin themselves down during this chameleonic debut. When Jammed Space Movement succeeds it’s no doubt due to the clear musical chemistry on display from this diverse collective, but by the same token this button mashing approach to genre hopping makes for a bumpy ride that verges on gimmicky at times. The result is a musical circus of sorts. Unpredictable and unwieldy yet, never containing as much as a dull second. Even when Akrobat’s whirlwind compositions come up short of substance, you get the feeling it’s almost beside the point; they’re having too much fun to care. AL We know it and so should you food, fashion, photography, film, books, magazines, music, design, drink and a curated section of events for you to consider www.totallydublin.ie