O’Reilly & Vincent – The Roof Falls In (2022)
Inspired by the ceiling of their sitting room collapsing while they were on holiday, O’Reilly & Vincent bring a super catchy feeling to ‘The Roof Falls In’. Caught between the uplifting hope that we are able to tackle anything life throws at us and a meditative response to the crisis they found themselves in, the single is a lot of fun to listen to. Taking some traditional folk tones and wrapping them in an alt-folk cover packed with tempo changes, the duo stuffs the melody in eclectic bits and pieces of instrumentation.
Entirely acoustic, the single will transport you to an Irish pub where the duo plays out their woes, only to leave you ready to take on the world by the end. Forming this musical project out of an unplanned flurry of creativity in 2019, their previous releases have seen them praised by critics across the world. Between Finn O’Reilly’s musical chops and Rod Vincent’s poetic lyrics, the duo are sure to see a lot more praise in the future.
The guitars that open ‘The Roof Falls In’ instantly grab your attention, sinking talons of folky goodness into your brain. The foot-tapping beats get you moving to their rhythm, before the entire flow of the melody takes a turn. The lively touch gives way to a morose movement that is packed with the delicate tones of a flute. Everything swings again for the chorus, with clapping tones that make you want to jump around. It is a really fantastic melody that keeps you engaged from the first note of the guitar to the very last. The rise and fall of the arrangement taps into something quite traditional in the folk world with a delightful touch of something that is purely O’Reilly & Vincent. The slower movements of the melody are a sadder meditation on the problems we face in life, only for the lively tones to bring the understanding that we can tackle anything that comes our way.
The movement of the melody is echoed by the vocals as they flow over the poetry of the lyrics. While the lyrics tap into the moment when their roof caved in, there is something much larger woven into the words. The expansive meaning of the single has the duo touch on every crisis we face in life, turning the roof collapsing into a metaphor. As the music moves from sombre to lively, the vocals move with them, making you want to sing along to the upbeat flows, only to sink into the depths of emotion in the slower moment. This is a stunning showcase of the musicality of the duo as they swing from one movement to another in a way that keeps you hooked.
Using addictive melodic swings, poetic lyrics and a fun vibe, O’Reilly & Vincent have you singing along, thinking about their lyrics and having a fantastic time to ‘The Roof Falls In’. The single takes a single moment from their lives and turns it into something we can all relate to, while tapping into something much greater. The outstanding swings in melody and vocals highlight their musicality and have you diving into their back catalogue.
Find out more about O’Reilly & Vincent on their website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
