Sweet folk sounds from Cork's Polly Barrett. A quality debut that hints at a long musical career!
On one level I love the simplicity of 'Mr Bookshop'. The clear and pure vocals of Polly bring her songs to life. They are accompanied by a simple soundtrack of acoustic guitars, banjo and drums. While the genre is folk many of the songs could also be described as pop without the fanfare.
On another level the album was almost too simplistic. I missed the warmth a bassline can bring to the songs. In a time when Irish musicians like Lisa Hannigan and James Vincent McMorrow are raising the bar of the concept of an album, a bunch of sweet sounding songs may not be enough to reach the masses! If anything a fanfare on a couple of tracks would have been very welcomed!
However that been said there are some lovely tunes on 'Mr Bookshop'. The best songs for me include the title track, the album opener 'Weak', the folkie 'Almost Friend' and the glorious 'February' with it's wonderful enriching imagery. The bluegrass feel of 'Synchronicity' really suits Polly's vocals and is another standout track.
All in all 'Mr Bookshop' is a fine debut which showcases the massive potential of Polly Barrett.
Polly Barrett - Mr Bookshop [9 out of 12]
02 POLLY BARRETT - Mr Bookshop by Music Week
Buy the Album: http://pollybarrett.bandcamp.com/album/mr-bookshop
http://www.reverbnation.com/pollybarrett
Tour Dates:
Wed, 16 Nov Galway, IE Garvey's Inn
Tue, 22 Nov London, UK The Troubadour Club, Earl's Court, London
Fri, 25 Nov Slane, MH, IE Boyles in Slane
Tue, 29 Nov Wexford, WX, IE The Sky & The Ground
Wed, 30 Nov Kilkenny, KK, IE Ryan's Bar
Thu, 08 Dec Letterkenny, IE An Grianan Theatre
Fri, 09 Dec Galway, IE Roisin Dubh
Sat, 10 Dec Dublin, IE Vicar Street
Sun, 11 Dec Cork, IE Triskel Christchurch
Fri, 30 Dec Mayo, IE Royal Theatre
On one level I love the simplicity of 'Mr Bookshop'. The clear and pure vocals of Polly bring her songs to life. They are accompanied by a simple soundtrack of acoustic guitars, banjo and drums. While the genre is folk many of the songs could also be described as pop without the fanfare.
On another level the album was almost too simplistic. I missed the warmth a bassline can bring to the songs. In a time when Irish musicians like Lisa Hannigan and James Vincent McMorrow are raising the bar of the concept of an album, a bunch of sweet sounding songs may not be enough to reach the masses! If anything a fanfare on a couple of tracks would have been very welcomed!
However that been said there are some lovely tunes on 'Mr Bookshop'. The best songs for me include the title track, the album opener 'Weak', the folkie 'Almost Friend' and the glorious 'February' with it's wonderful enriching imagery. The bluegrass feel of 'Synchronicity' really suits Polly's vocals and is another standout track.
All in all 'Mr Bookshop' is a fine debut which showcases the massive potential of Polly Barrett.
Polly Barrett - Mr Bookshop [9 out of 12]
02 POLLY BARRETT - Mr Bookshop by Music Week
Buy the Album: http://pollybarrett.bandcamp.com/album/mr-bookshop
http://www.reverbnation.com/pollybarrett
Tour Dates:
Wed, 16 Nov Galway, IE Garvey's Inn
Tue, 22 Nov London, UK The Troubadour Club, Earl's Court, London
Fri, 25 Nov Slane, MH, IE Boyles in Slane
Tue, 29 Nov Wexford, WX, IE The Sky & The Ground
Wed, 30 Nov Kilkenny, KK, IE Ryan's Bar
Thu, 08 Dec Letterkenny, IE An Grianan Theatre
Fri, 09 Dec Galway, IE Roisin Dubh
Sat, 10 Dec Dublin, IE Vicar Street
Sun, 11 Dec Cork, IE Triskel Christchurch
Fri, 30 Dec Mayo, IE Royal Theatre
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