There’s something about the charm and simplicity of Irish singer-songwriter Gregory Doone's writing. On his latest album, Doone brings a lilting mix of feathered guitars and warm, cosy vocals, with hints of folk and trad music through organic instrumentation. It has a soothing sway to it, where you can imagine yourself lying on a hammock and listening along. It’s the type of album that’ll put you in a relaxing mode, where certain elements are left raw and not overpolished in post-production, retaining that rich ‘human’-ness and authentic element.
Turning Wheel carries a distinct Bob Dylan feel, as the track evokes a visual of dappled light in a cosy corner of a room, where you can hear the subtle chord shifts of the guitar. The entry of the flute adds directly to that picturesque, raw charm. Doone’s warm, lilting vocals carry that feel-good, cosy indie quality, and as he’s joined by the harmony, the arrangement just comes together beautifully.
Climbing Rose again brings that same homely charm from the vocal-guitar combination, beginning with a very lilting chime of the guitars alongside Doone’s vocals. Despite its simplicity in arrangement, the song tugs at your emotional strings through an intricate intertwining of guitar and bass. The flute adds jovial frills to the arrangement, as the lyrics pose a rhetorical question: “where does all the time go, my climbing rose?”
Outside In is reminiscent of Hozier, with the guitar carrying a soft and unintrusive lift, yet also bringing real depth with hints of trad interlaced throughout. The lyrics, being very visually evocative, are sung with a softness and warmth that drifts you to the same headspace where the singer is—a calming sunlit setting with a gentle draft of breeze. The instrumentation anchors the piece with just a singular root note from the guitar that almost rustles between the other gently placed notes.
Unnamed Burial Song builds itself around long legato notes and speckled strums of the guitar, taking its time to gather intensity as Doone pours raw emotionality into his vocals. The lyrics of this track feel like both entities of human and nature themselves are pressed closely together, with lines like “the ground holds me under, and calls me by my name”. More than any other, this track showcases Doone’s vocal prowess, range, strong throw, and gruff vibrato.
Overall, within this album, Doone has a great way of conveying a lot of emotional depth within a minimalist sphere of guitars, vocals, and a cleverly placed flute, making it a great album to catch live in a cosy, tightly packed space. Check out the album here: