Joshua Burnside - A Man Of High Renown



Irish singer-songwriter Joshua Burnside continues on his journey from strength to strength with the release of his chilling new single ‘A Man Of High Renown,’ ahead of his new EP ‘All Round The Light Said.’ Like a cross between a sea shanty and a Celtic battle march, this bog gothic ballad sees Burnside use vernacular vocals positively laden with emotion to create a musical tale that has a palpable sense of tradition.
Opening with what can be mistaken for a joyful ditty, the song quickly breaks rank with the air organs bestowing an almost religious sense of dread and weight. Like every great Irish traditional tune, you can almost feel the eeriness and unease. Opening lyrics speak of ghosts and bruised knees, marking the beginning of a curious link between Burnside’s childhood memories and the darker themes of the song. This malice tinged nostalgia serves as one of the most vocal points of the song, with memories of ‘eyes all black’ and a ‘rash down your back.’ The forlorn drone of the accordion blends with the rhythmic grimace of the percussion section, conferring a sense of impending doom as we are carried relentlessly through the verses of ‘A Man of High Renown,’ just as the protagonists of the song have no choice but the capitulate to the slow march of time and darkness that Burnside so passionately vocalises. The fusion of both the striking cry the plucked strings and the constant strumming of the acoustic section creates an almost hypnotic effect, as listens have no choice but to be magnetised by its allure.
A fantastic single for what is sure to be a fantastic EP, Burnside has once again demonstrated why he is one of the best bards in the country. If ‘A Man of High Renown’ is any indication of what is to come, then we are in for a treat.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stayne - Parachute

Image
Stayne - Parachute Derry singer/songwriter Stayne makes a highly anticipated return to the ‘new releases’ column with ‘ Parachute ’. A self-described pop artist who brings “something a little different,” his newest single pulls no punches. On his latest, the ‘I slay ’ performer tackles everything from alcoholism, spirituality and needing someone to hold on to a 'human parachute.’ Know to fuse his lyricism with introspection and self-worth before sending them out into the world, Stayne’s newest is his best so far. The warm gruff vocals of the walled city resident flow into range, telling a tale of victory and failure. A stripped back arrangement of keys and ghostly strings help elevate the vocal message, ultimately committing addition by subtraction. Wallowing in a more subtle sound than would be expected from pop allows Stayne to bring his voice to the forefront, giving lines such as “I’m a whole different man when I’m holding a beer” a new gravity. With this being
Read more

Stone Broken, Those Damn Crows + Baleful Creed - 10th February 2019

Image
Stone Broken, Those Damn Crows + Baleful Creed - 10th February 2019 As I make my way down fountain street, my breath materialises in front of me. As it dissipates into the night, a low rumbling grows. It’s emanating from the top floor of local music hostelry Voodoo, which plays host tonight to a contingent of hard rock fanatic and headbang enthusiasts. The scuzz is palpable as I make my way through the door. First onstage is Belfast’s own Baleful Creed . The heavy rock quartet, known for their weighty riffs and ruthless demeanour, are having some fun tonight onstage. While sticking to the meat and bones of their gruff sound, we are treated to some wavey psychedelic blues in between licks. These deviations don’t last however, and it’s not long before pounding drum fills are shaking my back wall table and gruff, leathery textured vocals are searing the paint of the wall. Ripping up the stage with a prehistoric sound steeped in the blues (a wild harmonica appears for a moment),
Read more

Son Of The Hound - You Are Alive

Image
Son Of The Hound - You Are Alive  Musician. Writer. Podcaster. Doggo. Friend (?) of Nathan O’Regan. Take your pick from any number of the titles used to describe Mick McCullagh, but for the purpose of this exercise, we’ll refer to him with his nom-de-plume: Son Of The Hound. The guitar pop troubadour with a penchant for soft, almost vulnerable, anthems returns with new track ‘You Are Alive,’ a strident alt-folk/rock number propelled by a determined spirit and resonant tone. An electric echo leads the march before a percussive stomp kicks the anti-nihilism into its wide-eyed gear. The upbeat chorus is introduced with a Janis Joplin-esque roar of “lonely, lonely, loh-oh-oh-oh-ohnely” before a wall of ringing chords, dripping in alacrity and zeal, slams into the listener. Streams of twilight infused licks flow through the track like tributaries, carrying extra pep with each flick of McCullagh's wrist, towards the grand sense of commonality found in the football chant appeal
Read more