This album is a slick production. The design and packaging are professional and well designed, kudos to the designer and photographer.  They say don’t judge a book by its cover but, in this day of the aesthetic, it’s a welcome treat for an Irish singer/songwriter’s album to look the part.

The Great Atlantic has a promising start and the production matches the shiny professionalism of the product design.  The opening song has a jaunty journey feel, perfect for a rainy N17 bus journey or whatever route takes your fancy.  There are great harmonies, it makes for a strong opener. But it’s Mullin’s voice that commands notability on the second track ’Across the Ocean’. It showcases his melodic sensibility and to cut to the chase, he sounds good. Again in the third track its all about the voice,  sounding almost like a sean nós song with piano. But as the album progresses this quality is not kept up.

From song four through eight it it’s difficult to tell when one track ends and the next begins, never a good sign. The lyrics get generic and lazy with at least three songs referencing cliché bird imagery. In fact the lyrics got pretty dreadful with Keith informing us that ‘Life on Mars can be lonely as hell, Life on Earth can be lonely as well’. Gee, thanks for the insight. Any of the songs from four to nine could be used in a One Tree Hill montage… maybe that was the aim.

Track ten screams of indulgent nonsense, of the Damian Rice ilk. It’s just instrumental with noise and smacks of laziness. It’s a shame because it starts out so well.

Review by: Meabh Barron

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