Let’s get the obvious out of the way, shall we? Gareth is from Northern Ireland.
Gareth (like Cher he sees no need for a last name) doesn’t sound like he’s from Northern anywhere—except maybe Kentucky.
The perfect country-pop-rock of the title track—where the chorus soars—is a window into his world.
But what’s interesting is that for all the stylings, he’s still got a bit of folk about him. “Answered Prayer” changes tone but becomes a vehicle for his superb voice and clear ambition.
“Quiet in This House”—a co-write with Shay Mooney of Dan + Shay—is a beautiful ballad, and he excels at the slower ones.
“Time Won’t Wait” is another from that end of the spectrum, but the sense of urgency in the lyrics is surely why the kid from Castlederg moved to Nashville to pursue his dreams. Dreams he’s now living, with 25 million streams, performances at C2C, and a support slot for Kip Moore over here.
And that won’t be the end. Not a bit of it. As the lap steel energy of “Last Thing I Do” brings this five-tracker to a close, there’s every reason to believe nobody’s about to steal his thunder—and that Gareth is going to be a serious big deal.
Rating: 8.5/10
