‘To Chicago’, is the first single from Ciaran Lavery‘s recently announced new album, ‘Sweet Decay’. A hometown hero from County Antrim, and winner of the NI Music Prize for his 2016 album ‘Let Bad In’, the follow-up is much anticipated.
Lavery continues to be a welcome addition to the changing landscape of the singer-songwriter standard. That distinctive gravel of a voice breaking our hearts with his quintessential quixotic lyrics. ‘To Chicago’, an urban ballad, shows off the evolution of Lavery’s sound. Generating a bit more polished product without losing the integrity of the artist.
The track opens with, “I love you baby ‘till the parking ticket runs out. Until the lights in the street are bright as the stars… The chorus then chugs in like an “L” train clacking on the tracks. Incidentally, an L train [short for ‘elevated’] is an iconic sight in the actual city of Chicago. Just an interesting side note adding another unexpected fun layer to the song.
How does Lavery make parking tickets and street lights romantic and kind of sexy? It’s that mysterious alchemy of tempo, phrasing, confident guitar work, and THAT VOICE. It’s bouncy without coming across as frivolous, still resonating deeper truths. Somehow it all comes together in this delightfully cheeky gem of a tune.
‘Sweet Decay’ is set for release on 13th April, and available to pre-order now, with a string of tour dates announced, including album release day at Belfast’s Empire Music Hall.
