Sweet Decay
All Points, 2018
8/10
A singer-songwriter from a small village in Ireland, Ciaran Lavery pens a very personal album here, where themes of love, growth and self-reflection radiate with much beauty as Saint Sister (vocals), Rory Doyle (drums) and Joe Furlong (bass), among others, are in attendance.
“Everything Is Made To Last” starts the listen with an intimate, breathy delivery of minimal instrumentation as Lavery’s expressive singing holds our attention alongside a gentle guitar that later builds into an anthemic quality, and “13” follows with a warm beat and much attention to detail in the melodic instrumentation.
Elsewhere, “Bones 4 Blood” simmers softly with a soulful quality, while “Wicked Teeth” is a folk influenced strummer that carries a light mood with plenty of timelessness. “Beast At My Door”, one of the album’s best, then recruits a haunting tone where strings add much to the reflective climate.
As we near the end, “Morning Bell” illustrates much power in its sparse execution that’s both poetic and gripping, and the title track finishes the listen with emphasis on piano as a calm atmosphere unfolds with a cautious, stirring exit.
Lavery is nothing if not heartfelt, and his eloquent song craft is only improving with each subsequent record. An artist with very humble beginnings, though he’s from a village of 800 residents, he’s making a global impression and it’s easy to see why with fascinating work like Sweet Decay.
Travels well with: Roo Panes- Paperweights; James Vincent McMorrow- Post Tropical