Irish singer-songwriter Ultan Conlon messes with folk fans expectations every now and then on his new album There's a Waltz, inserting unexpected lyrical twists (Sparks of the Divine) and getting them on the wrong foot quite literally by starting the title track in 4/4. It's not all fun and games however. Conlon can write superb songs that sound as old as the green hills of his native country and once the pubs are open for business again the clientele will be singing sad ballads like A Long Way Back and Where the Shadows Outgrow The Lights.
There's a Waltz was recorded in the producers seat @ Heritage Recording Studio in Burbank, California, with multi-instrumentalist Sean Watkins who brought in the crystal clear sound of the West Coast, mixed in Nashville where they put extra attention the sound of the pedal steel and fiddle. With a wealth of seasoned players having his back Conlon could focus on his singing and guitar playing, and being a folk singer in a soft spoken country rock environment. And as Artistotle observed: "The whole is greater than the sum of the parts".
Ultan Conlon: vocals, acoustic guitar
Sean Watkins: acoustic, electric, high string guitars, mellotron and Wurlitzer, backing vocals
Tyler Chester: Hammond organ, piano
Don Heffington: drums
Rich Hinman: pedal steel
Sebastian Steinberg: bass, double bass
Gabe Witcher: fiddle
Sara Watkins: backing vocals
There's a Waltz is a self-released album (vinyl, CD, digital). Already available in Ireland and the UK. The of Europe and the US will have to wait until May 22. Buy it from his website.
Tracks:- The Long Mile
- Moments in Time
- A Long Way Back
- Don't Let Love Slip Away
- There's a Waltz
- World from a Window
- In the Blink of an Eye
- Where the Shadows Outgrow The Lights
- Sparks of the Divine
- A Landslide
