The new album from Conchúr White is accessible, folk-tinged pop. It's also sleek and modern mellow rock too. Swirling Violets, out now via Bella Union, serves up bright, somewhat lush stuff, with the musician from Northern Ireland announcing himself worthy of attention.
Opener "Holy Death" is centered around a big hook, while "Righteous (Why Did I Feel Like That?)" is more soulful and supple. The textures here are very shiny, but there's a lot of heart in this radio-friendly stuff. Elsewhere, "Rivers" strikes out for territory that Father John Misty and Midlake have mapped out. White does his best here, and the tune is spry, even if it feels like we've heard this before many times in recent years. The peppy "I Did Good Today" was a standout for this listener here on Swirling Violets. The track hits a kind of Polyphonic Spree-ish peak that I'd liked to have heard more of here.
Swirling Violets by Conchúr White is out now via Bella Union.
[Photo: Conchúr White Bandcamp]