Album Review: Stuck, Deaf Joe

The first of what promises to be a “slew of new music” from Waterford-born, Edinburgh-based tunesmith Joe Harney, AKA Deaf Joe, sees the singer take comfort in sound. Described in its accompanying press release as possibly Ireland’s first gay divorce break-up album, and officially unveiled on Valentine’s Day (which we’re sure is no coincidence), the eight-song opus is an absorbing affair.

Serving as a bridge between the fractured folk of debut Burrowings and the expressive, fevered sounds of 2014’s From The Heights Of A Dream, Harney’s third album takes the best bits from both albums with winning results. Skeletal in arrangement and driven by subdued but still magnetic vocals, tracks like the haunting ‘Where’s Your Loving Gone’ and the raunchy ‘Love Me A Little More’ have the potential to crack the mainstream.

Though Stuck does get a little claustrophobic at times (‘Don’t Look So Sad’), the record’s rawness and honesty make for powerful listening.

Rating: 7/10