Album Review: Scullion, Time Has Made a Change in Me

It’s rare to see a band so intrinsically interwoven into the fabric of 20th century Irish music turning so effortlessly and openly to the sounds of a new generation. But Scullion have never been ones to settle completely in the safety of nostalgia, as well-earned as it may be. Rather, their sound has continued to expand, courageously and sensitively, with the decades, as Sonny Condell, Philip King and Robbie Overson allow themselves to be humbled by the influence of a whole new set of voices and perspectives.

Alongside a captivating selection of original tracks, Time Has Made A Change In Me finds the band mining fresh, profound meaning from songs penned by much younger artists, with covers of The National’s ‘I Need My Girl’ and Sufjan Stevens’ ‘No Shade In The Shadow Of The Cross’.

Complete with experimental vocal effects, it’s an album that few bands who date back to the mid-’70s could pull off convincingly. But despite these modern touches, and contributions from the likes of Saint Sister’s Gemma Doherty, Crash Ensemble, Villagers’ Conor O’Brien and Caimin Gilmore, Scullion’s own unique perspective is always firmly in the frame – with songs imbued with bittersweet ruminations on the passing of time.

It’s a theme that naturally conjures up some heavy connotations, particularly given that the project was recorded over the pandemic. But, it's comfort, more than anything else, that you'll find in this album – from the celebration of a daughter’s wedding on ‘All The Bells In Spain’, to the gradual acceptance of mortality on the closing track, a moving, communal rendition of American folk song ‘Time Has Made A Change In Me’.

Out now

8/10