Album Review: Bren Berry, In Hope Our Stars Align

Nobody really expects to suddenly find their voice in their late fifties, but that’s exactly what happened to former Revelino guitarist and Vicar Street booker extraordinaire, Bren Berry. On a late night with singer Brendan Tallon, his former bandmate dared Berry to finish writing a song by himself.

The result was ‘Black Satellite’, the closing track here, a tongue-in-cheek tribute to Bob Dylan and New York. Something about this particular song told Berry to drop the register of his voice, and once he did, everything fell into place, allowing him to unleash his inner songwriter and giving him the confidence to step behind the mic for the first time.

The result is an extraordinary 12-track love letter to life, family and music. If there’s a recurring theme, it’s the sense of happiness and community found in family (musical or otherwise), from the jangly guitar rush of ‘Come Alive’ (think a laid-back Jesus & Mary Chain) to the gorgeous, soulful and heartfelt ‘We Have It All’.

‘This City’ is a love letter to Dublin, where he tips a wink to his late parents: “Inner city girl loves a Raytown son.” ‘Knives (Heavy Metal Rain)’ is an eco-anthem, lamenting the destruction of our planet in pursuit of short-term profits, complete with stirring string section arranged by Cormac Curran.

The yearning ‘Hairpin Bends’, meanwhile, was written when Berry was recovering from heart surgery: “Sometimes the heart lies low / Sometimes the body knows.”

The chiming ‘Beautiful Losers’ is a homage to Leonard Cohen and one can’t help but feel the late Canadian would approve of rhyming “dancehalls and boozers” with “beautiful losers.” Then there’s the Byrdsian jangle of ‘Turn On Your Radio’, recalling early R.E.M.; the disarmingly simple ‘Winter Song’; and the majestic ‘Bullet Proof’, Berry coming on like a down-on-his-luck Bono, sheepishly attempting to win back the affections of a disaffected lover.

Majestic.

8/10

Out now – and available to order on vinyl and CD here.