Eileen Gogan and the Instructions - Under Moving Skies

  by Nicky Crewe

published: 13 / 7 / 2020

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Review

Eileen Gogan is a Dublin-based singer-songwriter who is obviously enjoying getting into production too. Her first album, 'Spirit of Oberlin', was released in late 2015. She is working with the same band of musicians, the Instructions, on this follow-up. The songs and lyrics are hers, with the exception of 'Friday Tune', an instrumental written and performed by Damian O’Neill (of the Undertones) and the poem by Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill set to music, 'Celebration'. The album gets off to a great start with 'More Time', a song that quickly becomes both familiar and a favourite, with its great guitar solo from Ed McGinley. Some tracks sound experimental in their arrangements and production, pushing the boundaries of the kind of music we might expect from a singer with such a beautiful and pure singing voice. 'Don’t Let Me Sleep' and 'San Fran 1997' take us somewhere else, and songs like 'Malibu Stacey' and 'Sweet Alice' introduce us to some of the characters that might be found there. At times the mood is thought provoking and mysterious. Listen to 'Echo' and the strangely-titled 'Yes, Music Does Have the Right to Children'. As well as the involvement of Damian O’Neill and Ed McGinley, there are further guest appearances from Niall O’Sullivan, Bren Tallon, Cathal Coughlan, Paul Byrne, Stephen Ryan and Sean O’Hagan. The album opens with the upbeat 'More Time' and ends with the heartbreakingly beautiful poem put to music 'Celebration'. They bookend an album that gets better with each listen, that is full of potential and lives up to its promise.

Track Listing:-

1 More Time
2 Don't Let Me Sleep
3 Echo
4 I Don't Mind
5 Sweet Alice
6 Malibu Stacey
7 Friday Tune
8 Yes Music Does Have The Right To Children
9 San Fran 1997
10 Celebration