An infectiously energetic live performer with a hugely likeable personality, Ryan Sheridan’s frantically-paced guitar style and his winning way with an anthemic pop melody have delivered him fans in abundance at home and, increasingly, across Europe. The good news is that his second long-player, Here And Now, should see his popularity rise several notches.
Boasting a dozen new tunes – virtually all of them potential singles – the production values and arrangements are stellar, while his voice has never sounded as passionate or soulful. It’s hard to pin him down musically, which is no bad thing. While there are the expected singer-songwriter confessionals, Sheridan also incorporates elements of guitar-pop and indie, and even ventures into R&B and world music. The eminently catchy title-track features impressive fretwork that recalls Paul Brady’s ‘World Is What You Make It’, while Latin/African tinged rhythms dominate on ‘I’m Alive’. The irresistibly engaging ‘Superpower’ and the equally radio-friendly ‘A Minute Changes Everything’, meanwhile, are guaranteed future live favourites.
Elsewhere, ‘Fight For Life’ could be an A-ha hit from their golden ’80s era, ‘She Says’ comes across as Hall & Oates-meets-The Cure, and ‘Stay’ has elements of U2 and Coldplay, courtesy of the reverb-laden guitars and widescreen vocals.
Sheridan slows the tempo on ‘Someone Like You’, a gorgeous ballad with serious lighter-waving potential, before ‘Worlds Apart’ brings proceedings to a close in suitably elegant style. Overall, a wonderfully dynamic and eclectic effort.

KEY TRACK: 'A Minute Changes Everything'