Cormac O'Caoimh – The Moon Loses Its Memory

A singer-songwriter with a classical background, Cormac O’Caoimh’s songwriting is akin to that of the ‘80s school of wordsmiths such as Lloyd Cole, Paddy McAloon and even Elvis Costello. Opener ‘Maze Of Your Heart’ veers towards Paul Simon as does ‘Solid’. In contrast, ‘Yellow Crumbs’ has an almost Prefab Sprout flavour with its melodic twists and wistful backing vocals.
He certainly packs a lot of musical ideas into these 14 tracks – too many, some might say, making for a somewhat uneven collection. The title-track, with its off-kilter time-signatures and jerky melody, recalls Cork outfit Microdisney at their left-field finest. The gently swaying jazz-pop of the charming ‘Place A Letter On My Front Porch’ is at odds with the denser, more experimental ‘Basement’ and the somewhat undercooked ‘You Stole December’. Still, when he hits the mark, as on lovely slow-burner ‘Lay Low For A While’ and gorgeously melodic ‘Thirst & Water’, O’Caoimh emerges as a songwriter to be reckoned with.