O’Reilly & Vincent – Clearance Sale (2020)
What happens when a Dublin musician and a Shropshire poet get together? The folk-rock soundscape that is O’Reilly & Vincent. This unlikely duo started playing together last spring after Finn O’Reilly started to sing some of Rod Vincent’s poems after an unplanned flurry of creativity one weekend. Now, they are ready to present their debut album Clearance Sale to the world.
Out today, the 11-track album is full of folk and folk-rock sounds that take you back in time. Each single has a different vibe leaving something for everyone on the album. If you have enjoyed the string of singles they have released in the build-up to this album, you are going to be over the moon for the full thing.
The album hits you with a driving folk beat in ‘Alarm Call’. The guitar-driven melody is catchy and gets you bobbing to the rhythm. O’Reilly’s vocals form a higher layer as his voice undulates to the beat. There are some electric guitar notes that zing through the folk beat and add this extra edge to the song. It is a very laid-back track that you can easily listen to and get lost in.
‘Men & Books’ has a darker vibe to the opening. There is something a little sombre about the vibe of this song. While there is still a very folk feeling to the melody, there is also a hint of country to it that comes and goes in the vocals. This track is more stripped-back than the last, but there are these amazing organ notes that come through. These notes make you think of an old church or monastery where these tones echo.
There is a faster pace to ‘Steven Roach’ with these plucky notes hanging around below the vocals. You can’t help but get into this melody and start moving from the first moment. There is something infectious about this song and you may just find yourself singing along to the chorus. The easy vibes of the album are on full display in this song.
The spoken words at the start of ‘Weeding in the Cross Bones Graveyard’ have this Magna Carte feel to it. However, the guitar-driven melody that follows takes the song in a different direction. There is a haziness to the vocals but there is also this power. The depth of the vocals shines on the chorus. Melodically, there is almost a western vibe blended with a folk tone.
‘Anna and the Apple’ turns everything to a more surf-rock vibe. You can almost see the beach when listening to the melody of the track. However, the lyrics are as far from the beach as you can get. The higher notes of the vocals are awesome on this single as you meet Anna and hear her tale.
There is an edge to the opening of ‘The Lecture’ that combines with the deeper vocals. The howling of the vocals adds to the darker edge of the track. The minimalistic melody gives the vocals the ability to soar and drive you through the emotions of the track. There are a few layers to the vocals of this song that work perfectly together to form a unified yet multi-faceted song. The guitar lines later in the track have this epic feeling to them like they should be calling out over a desert.
The next track is ‘A Single Step’ which uses a progressive opening to grab your attention. The folky guitars continue to draw you in as the light vocals enter. The entrance of the vocals is wonderful because it sounds like it is coming out of the guitar line. There is an echoing on this song that creates a haziness that works well with the shuffling percussion.
‘Hengistbury Head’ has a rockier feeling to it as you are taken to the cliffs of Hengistbury Head. There is a lot of lyrical imagery in this single to the point where you can easily picture the head. The guitar lines have these intricate elements that drag you into them. The melodic flow of the song is woven into every element from the vocals to the guitars to the drums.
‘The Inspector’ is a great tongue-in-cheek homage to train conductors. This is clear through the lyrics that tell you about the conductor and what you should do on a train. There is something unbelievably fun about this song that you don’t often hear. It is hard to describe how catchy this single is considering the subject matter and the lyrics.
The melody of ‘Michael’ has you swaying to the beat before you realise what you are doing. The driving beat of this song does not stop, but there is something gentle about it. This song tells you all about Michael and you can easily picture him in your mind. There is a sense of yearning to be Michael, but this is countered by an acceptance that not everyone can be.
The album ends with the lilting ballad ‘Through The Clouds’. The soft opening draws you in before the vocals sweep over you. This is by far the softest track on the album and there is something happy about it. It leaves you feeling good and hopeful. The chorus has this light drive to it that lets you fly into the clouds.
O’Reilly & Vincent have a little something for everyone in their debut album Clearance Sale. There is this folk thread that shines through on all the songs, but it is layered with everything from surf to rock. If you are looking for a sound that is kind of like Simon and Garfunkel without the animosity, this is the album for you.
Find out more about O’Reilly & Vincent on their website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
