If you’re on the lookout for good Folky/Pop music, you would do good to intentionally stumble upon Ruairi and the Owls. This is the moniker of Furlo bassman, Ruairi Connolly’s side band. Seemingly, this is an outlet for ruairis original compositions that do not suit his day job and we’re glad he’s decided to lay down these acoustic-tinged tracks for our ears.
I really enjoyed the overall ‘stripped’ sound on offer here, and although I now have a listening bias; I’m sure that these songs would only have worked in this way. From the outset, I was struck by the wit of the lyrics – lines like ‘Break back inside my wooden chest / you’ll find an antique that’s stuck in time’. The quirky lyrics are a constant in this EP, and the majority of the content ‘seems’ to be influenced by a relationship on the rocks. The songwriting on this EP seems effortless, clearly executed, and there’s a good variation from track-to-track.
Also this is a ‘solo’ project of sorts, there are guest musicians on the EP and the star amongst them would have to be Leanne, the female backing vocalist. Her voice fits behind connollys like the last piece in a puzzle, she helps lift the more sombre sections whilst also helping to drive the more intense sections.
All in all, it’s really good to see Ruairi temporarily flock from the Furlo nest and branch out on his own. These 4 songs form just a small percentage of the collection he currently has ‘sitting around’ – so we should all expect several more releases in the not too distant future. A Great first EP.
◀ STANDOUT ⁞ About You ▶
◀ CONNECTION ⁞ Elliot Smith | Ron Sexsmith ▶
