The prospect of an album from a TV talent show contestant typically sets off alarm bells. This effort, though, from The Voice of Ireland winner Brendan McCahey, bucks that trend.
Make no mistake, To Where I Begin is extremely middle-of-the-road, and you feel the Cavan native is always conscious of the broad nature of his target audience. But it is well made and performed throughout.
Gentle ballad ‘Sweet Love’ is the lead single, but that honour could just as easily have gone to ‘The Otherside’ or the country-influenced ‘Younger’. There’s a knack for clever melodies and catchy choruses, and the deft production of Dave Odlum adds a lightness to the album, as it skims seamlessly through its ten tracks.
Unlike most products of reality shows, McCahey is not some cookie-cutter teen with a writing team behind him. At 38 he has the polished delivery of a veteran and demonstrates a genuine honesty in his music, which is best showcased on the delicate closer ‘In Light’.
To Where I Begin could become background music at dinner parties but there are worse fates. The musicianship and vocals both suggest that this is an artist worth keeping an eye on.
OUT NOVEMBER 14.