I have to admit Cathal Coughlan is somebody who I return to again and again. I loved Microdisney, who couldn`t like `Town To Town` and then Fatima Mansions and their more art rock releases including the singles `Only Losers Take The Bus` and `Viva Dead Ponies`.
I was lucky enough to attend a fair few live shows of both bands and the potency expressed by the singer was almost physically tangible. One stare at you from this fella during the gig almost made you quake in your boots. There aren`t too many artists who can communicate that intensity that stays with you over thirty years later. I lost touch with Mr Coughlan and was unaware that a contractual wrangle with his record company meant that he was effectively prevented from releasing any music for the rest of the nineties. This led to bouts of binge drinking but thankfully what brought him out of it, he says, was exploring other genres and styles. In 2006 he was described by The Irish Times as the ‘genius of Irish rock’ and in 2019 along with his Microdisney bandmates, became the first recipient of Ireland’s National Concert Hall Trailblazer Award, prompting a brief revival of his old band. Its around a decade since his last album `Rancho Tetrahedron` but he has assembled a cast of supporting British musicians for the new record `Songs Of Co-Aklan` including members of the Grand Necropolitan Quartet, Rhodri Marsden (Scritti Politti) and Luke Haines (The Auteurs, Black Box Recorder).
The album opens with title track `Song Of Co-Aklan` with a thumping pounding driving drumbeat and swirling keys. The vocals are every bit as fresh as they were thirty years ago and there`s a joyous chorus with jangly guitar riffs. The song addresses the pandemic, but not directly but seemingly by elements pulled together in the persona of a character being bombarded both literally and metaphorically. A pounding piano key leads us through `Passed-Out Dog` which has a vast open texture and vocals that seem to be restrained but nevertheless retain that element of hostility.
`My Child is Alive! ` is more of a ballad like offering which allows Cathal to demonstrate what a rich and deep vocal range he possesses. It`s an expansive and expressive number that enjoys some delightful string arrangements and ends with an odd sort of advertisement snippet. We have a quite dark, broody, and edgy piece with `Crow Mother` which did have some lighter moments along this journey, but it kept returning to that more disturbing prickly texture with an organ almost pummelled into submission adding to the tension.
`St Wellbeing Axe` races along guided by a hammering repetitive drum beat and some off kilter guitar riffs as the lyrics are almost spat out. At times, the vocals seem to fight to be heard over a controlled cacophony of noise before ending abruptly. A number that describes the plight of the simple provincial raptor-captor, as he seeks unpaid labour on the Dark Web to maintain his home menagerie follows with `Owl In The Parlour`. A quite simple but so effective number with piano, brushed drum, some eerie cello, and vocals that glide from almost spoken word to a wonderful croon with some captivating harmonies.
`Let`s Flood The Fairground` is an oddly captivating number with a multiplicity of piano variations, synth like surges, some organ, a repetitive drumbeat, and vocals that seem a little detached almost indifferent but takes a sort of serenade like vibe at the chorus. A quite mesmerising composition. I felt there was an almost murder ballad come vaudeville or cabaret feel to `The Lobster`s Dream` which with the addition of the cello had a really haunting sensation. The vocal delivery is a delight and the inclusion of an almost out of tune piano at the end was magnificent.
`The Copper Beech` is another quite eclectic offering that sort of swaggers along at times with a dark and dreamy vocal being the constant throughout. An evocative melodica comes in towards the latter part which makes it a really unique and interesting submission. Although `The Knockout Artist` musically seems a stirring uplifting rhythmic foot tapper as with all of this artists gems there`s almost an iron fist in a velvet glove scenario. It seems to tell of a successful man re-evaluating his life and how he accomplished it.
`Falling Out North St.` is a wistful relaxed laid back almost dream like offering with piano, drum, bass, and guitar chords quietly shared most of the time allowing the rich vocal to glow. The chorus with recurrent organ keys and delicate harmonies put me in mind of The Beach Boys. The album closes with `Unrealtime` another ethereal slice of fragile and graceful pop where the vocals are a sheer delight to behold.
How can you describe Cathal Coughlan? To me he`s an Enigma. His lyrics have always been a little surreal but this time he partly used a literary technique that can be traced to the Dadaists of the 1920s in which a written text is cut up and rearranged to create a new text.
On `Song of Co-Aklan` topics ranged from corrupt politicians, to Brexit, the troubles and modern technology. The music is at times is offbeat, quirky, experimental, avant-garde, haunting but also delicate, fragile, and wonderfully emotive.
Cathal Coughlan has always been inquisitive, questioning, and innovative but also thoroughly enjoyable. It`s been a fair while since I had the pleasure of listening to him and it`s a thrill to welcome him back.
Rating 9.5/10
