A founding member of the legendary In Tua Nua in 1983, Paul Byrne is a veteran of the Irish rock scene. Primarily a much in-demand percussionist, he’s played with everyone from Sinéad O’Connor and Jack L to Shane MacGowan and Rocky DeValera. While he’s sung on various recordings down through the years (most notably on the title track of ITN’s US breakthrough album The Long Acre), it’s only now that he’s releasing his solo debut.
Co-produced by Byrne with Conor O’Farrell Brady, Cruel & Tender Ways was recorded last year in Dublin’s Phonic Studios. While there’s not much brand-newness on display over its 11 songs (the first track opens with, “Walk a mile in my shoes, baby/ Kick off your little red dancing boots”), he’s not trying to be Radiohead here. Instead, he’s playing to his strengths: a really strong voice, a great sense of rhythm and melody, and a quarter century’s worth of songs.
The result is a rock solid collection of superbly played, smoothly produced, brass-emboldened numbers, all custom made for FM radio, that grows better with each repeated listen. The title comes from the lyrics of ‘Only You’, in which Byrne sounds like an Irish Roy Orbison. The great Bronagh Gallagher lends her impressively soulful pipes to the duet ‘No Fixed Destination’. ‘How To Come Back To You’ is a gorgeously lingering and heartfelt piano-led ballad. Closing track ‘Save Me’ brings proceedings to a slow and, perhaps, slightly stoned close.
Cruel & Tender Ways won’t be a hit with hipsters, but will definitely appeal to fans of radio friendly, MOR rock ‘n’ roll. An accomplished debut that probably does exactly what it set out to do. As Byrne sings on ‘Papillon’, “It’s not the words of your song/ But the tune that you sing.”