Paddy Hanna - Leafy Stiletto

Part of a slew of planned new releases under the Popical Island umbrella in 2014 Leafy Stiletto is the debut solo record from Grand Pocket Orchestra singer Paddy Hanna. It features appearances from other members of the PI collective along the way (including Mark Chester, Bobby Aherne, Enda Canavan and Jill Redmond). Recorded over a spell of three days holed up in Fort Chops rehearsal studio, the LP, according to its maker, is best enjoyed while sitting “in a wood-panelled room with massive earphones and a neat Scotch.” I’m pleased to report that the opus is a fun affair regardless of whiskey preferences.

Comprising 12 tracks, none of which break the four-minute mark, Leafy Stiletto starts with ‘Rosslare Tapes’: the lo-fi, shuffling anti-folk-tinged tune sets the tone for what lies ahead. A record which revels in its awkwardness (“Love is the crowd at the gig that don’t scream no more,” observes Hanna in a deep baritone on acoustic oddity ‘Mud’), there’s also a warmth to the material too and a maturity in the song-writing and delivery. Highlights include the introspective bourbon-soaked brooder ‘Face In The Gravel’ and ‘On This Pier Too Long’, ther latter a shiny, shimmering number that invokes early REM in its jangly chords and melodies. For the most part, the charisma of our (anti) hero papers over any cracks. Recommended for fans of Grandaddy, Pavement and square pegs in round holes.