Album Review: Moncrieff, Maybe It’s Fine

You feel that Maybe It’s Fine is dropping exactly at the right time for Moncrieff, following, as it does, hot on the heels of the 2023 EP Highways & Hurricanes and last year’s Selfcare mixtape.

When you also consider the man was mobbed by thousands of fans in Waterford City’s Apple Market – when he performed a pop-up gig around the filming of the video for ‘Hard Feelings’ – Moncrieff momentum is definitely at peak.

For good measure, that clip is a promo like no other, featuring the Tramore native bringing the liquid funk to Phil Grimes’ boozer, and pucking a sliotar with some of Déise’s finest hurlers.

Moncrieff fever may have been kickstarted by celebrity fan Elton John spinning ‘Warm’ on his radio show in 2022 - a track which subsequently won the prestigious RTÉ Choice Music Prize for Irish Song of the Year. But the man his Mama calls Chris Breheny is no overnight success.

Rather, he’s been ploughing the territory for over a decade, racking up over 50 million Spotify streams in the process, which is no mean feat. Possessing an immaculate set of pipes and a chameleon-like ability to flit through genres, Maybe It’s Fine more than matches the hype.

Opener ‘Somebody’s Baby’ sets out the stall early – this is going to be a swashbuckling record. Moncrieff nicely layers the song, from just lonesome vocal and vamping piano to a full orchestral arrangement, complete with soaring gospel choir. Sonic bedfellow ‘Float’ more than matches the gospel pomp, with an added sprinkle of neo-soul.

Gears shift slightly on ‘Something To You’ – a modern R&B banger that treads the hit factory territory of Grammy darling Leon Bridges. Elsewhere, ‘Shangri La’ is a delicious slice of Italo disco-pop, while ‘Dashboard Confession’ ushers the record in a tasty indie-acoustic direction.

There is so much to savour here. Maybe It's Fine is a stunning opening salvo from a hugely gifted artist.

Out now

8/10