The album gets a thumbs-up from Sean, who is not biased at all of course!

Sean Kangataran’s début album is self-titled like so many that have gone before. In Kangataran’s case, it is different, here the artist has somehow managed to infuse so much of his own quirky personality into his first offering that it could really be called nothing other than Sean Kangataran.
 

Galway boy Kangataran has become somewhat of a musical nomad, having left Ireland to play music all over Europe, his sound has that worldly tinge that is impossible to pinpoint, but which makes his music undeniably his own, no small feat for a new artist. The album opens with a melancholic feel, one which follows on throughout the rest of the album, but somehow Kangataran evades total depression by injecting his personality and robust gravel-worn vocals into each track, at times touching on a sound reminiscent of Iron and Wine’s earlier work.
 

Tracks like Don’t Bet on Beauty showcase Kangataran’s musical and lyrical maturity. The key to the charm of this track lies in its lyrics which are quirky whilst remaining intelligent, much like those of Ed Harcourt. Kangataran touches on love, loss, relationships and breakdowns, and brings to each his own brand of oddness. Be The Dust is the stand-out track for me here. It is outstanding in its blend of downtrodden lyrics and quirky melody. Here there is a hint of Americana which doesn’t exist elsewhere in the album, it works alongside Kangataran’s usual sound and creates something spectacular.

Hairpins seems an odd choice for the first single. Whilst it is an enjoyable track, it isn’t one of the best, being less polished than the rest and being almost devoid of the charm that exists in other tracks. It somewhat fails to show off Kangataran’s talent. If a stronger track were chosen, it would have propelled the record to a wider audience.
 

A more up-beat track here would take the album from being a great effort, to being something special. Without one, some of the songs blend into one another. A couple of tracks which are independently wonderful, become background noise in the wider scheme of the record. Even If makes a solid attempt at being up-beat, but becomes somewhat shot-down before it reaches its musical peak and falls short of lifting the overall tone. It’s hard not to feel that Kangataran is holding something back vocally, no doubt when he lets loose, we will all be in for a shock.

Sean Kangataran’s self-titled debut is not ground-breaking music, but it is enjoyable, and sometimes that is enough.

Ciara O'Brien

For more from Sean check out his Myspace here...