Gareth Dunlop - Many Moons Ago

Gareth Dunlop - Many Moons Ago 



Belfast journeyman Gareth Dunlop’s new EP Many Moons Ago comes from a place of nostalgia and love. Inspired by his travels between his hometown and Nashville, Many Moons… is as much about heartbreak as it is about love. Poetic and dark, Dunlop is not reinventing the wheel on his new EP, sticking to his strengths and writing a fantastic set of mist-shrouded ballads.

Opener Devil Like You begins with a slow gothic riff that would be at home on a Nick Cave record. Dunlop's low, gravely vocals whisper out amidst the music, like fog over a lake. Dunlop ’s steady strumming acts as a hair-raising high point to the lyrical lows, while the plucked strings emit a low muted air of wickedness. Dunlop's signature brand of mesmerising scores and lulling vocals create a unique almost vaudevillian genre of folk that left me genuinely fearful.

The whole EP is not given over eerie sensibility, however, as standouts Cant Stand Myself and Blind To The Pain tackle both introspection and hindsight. An album seemingly dedicated to memory (even the title suggests looking back), Dunlop vocalises his spirit using lyrics filled with metaphor and recollection. The self-deprecation of Can't Stand Myself, a dreamy slow dance set to the backdrop of a heartbreak and raindrop piano keys is complimented by the elevated, bluesy animus of Blind To The Pain. Sharp lyrics such as “Looking back with cataracts, blind to the pain…” and its ever-changing tone left me genuinely sorry the tune was over.

Closing duo Way Back When and Dwell In My Soul continues the trend of honeyed, velvet wrapped vocals and bittersweet nostalgia. Whilst Way Back When is more atmospheric in its score, with its time themed lyrics, Dwell In My Soul is a pure profession of love in the medium of a crisp Celtic hymn.


Varied enough to keep listeners on their toes, but true to his roots Many Moons Ago is just another in a long string of impressive releases from Dunlop. Both twisted and heartfelt, it captures the essence of the country/folk music Dunlop has expertly written for all these years and should leave fans very pleased indeed. Heres to many more moons of excellent music.

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