Album Review: John Gallen, Triple7

As a man in his fifties when releasing his first album in 2022, Dubliner John Gallen was a late debutant in the industry of human happiness, but he’s rapidly making up for lost opportunities. The predecessors to this, his third album, scaled the upper echelons of the Irish Independent charts, so expectations of a hat-trick are justifiably high.

He knows what he’s at, that’s for sure. To date, Gallen’s lyrics have been key to his creativity, and Triple7 follows that pattern. ‘Positive Attitude’, with its upbeat, shuffling rhythm, reflects the optimistic outlook at the core of the record. On ‘Better’, meanwhile, Gallen’s vocal urgency explores attitudes to those nearing the end of their innings.

His cod-posturing in the titular role of ‘Pornstar’ looks at that role with sympathy, while not exactly encouraging it as a career option, with warnings that could equally apply to would-be rock stars. The punchy backing on ‘My Darling Ex’ points out how the end of one relationship can open doors to another, while his introspective lyric on ‘Waterloo’ is equally pragmatic.

Impressive stuff from an artist who confirms that age is no barrier to achievement.

7.5/10