He seems to have sprung from nowhere fully formed, this folk-inspired singer-songwriter with a collection of sepia-toned songs from another time and place. But Cork-based Flannery is just 23-years old and on the evidence of his debut, he could well be the next big thing to come out of this country (despite his youth he has paid his dues, having performed both in the bars of the Bowery in New York, in Canada and around Ireland).
Flannery’s songs are evocative, cinematic and memorable, while his lived-in, raspy voice falls somewhere between that of Ray LaMontagne, Antony (of the Johnsons fame) and Leonard Cohen, with nods to Tom Waits and Nick Cave.
Add to that a penchant for conjuring up evocative, wrong-side-of-the-tracks imagery and an almost theatrical sense of melody and you have a winning combination. A concept album of sorts Evening Train tells the story of a week in the lives of two brothers, with the songs linked in the sleeve-notes with a separate narrative.
It’s an ambitious conceit with Flannery and his backing musicians playing the part of the songs’ characters but the fact that it works is mainly down to the quality of the material. In fact, his only problem may be in overcoming comparisons with some of his influences; ‘When I’ve Got A Dollar’ recalls Tom Waits while ‘Take It On The Chin’ brings to mind Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanagan’s Ballad of the Broken Seas. He comes into his own on the piano-backed ‘Take You With Me’, a gorgeous duet with singer Yvonne Daly, who nicely counter-points his gruff tones. ‘The Rebel’ (loosely based on ‘When Johnny Comes Marching Home’) rolls along like a slow moving train before ending on a high note with the Gillian Welch-like ‘In The Gutter’ and the poignant title track.
The arrangements, production and performances are all impeccable making this one of the most assured home grown debuts of recent years.