Peppermint Radio

Folk stalwart Kate Walsh has taken a rather surprising route with her fourth record, a covers collection of all things.
The album is inspired by the singer’s childhood, a time when Walsh imagined herself as a DJ broadcasting on the make believe ‘Peppermint Radio’ and innocently spinning her favourite tunes.
From the ’80s synth pop of Erasure’s ‘A Little Respect’ through to Blur’s late, lo-fi ‘Beetlebum’, her versions are delivered in a stripped down, slow tempo format, which consists largely of Walsh’s sweet voice set against a basic piano melody.
Alas, the results are decidedly mixed.
The subtle makeover of EMF’s ‘Unbelievable’ is interesting while, in direct contrast, ‘A Little Respect’ is simply dreary, a far cry from the dramatic energy of the original.
However, the biggest letdown is the predictability of it all.
In almost every instance Walsh has taken a safety-first option, with results that are about as exciting as a double bill of Oireachtas Report.