Stuart Wilde - Devil In My House

Meath-born, but now based in West Cork, former recording engineer Stuart Wilde is a singular talent. He blends several genres – blues, soul, ska, and funk – moulding them into his own, frequently theatrical, style. Joined here by brother John (of Jerry Fish & Mudbug Club fame), his second album also boasts elements of Traffic, Frank Zappa and Jethro Tull. It makes for a heady brew of sounds and textures, with Wilde’s idiosyncratic songwriting and distinctive vocals to the fore. That said, it’s not as inaccessible as that might sound: tunes such as the Lou Reed-influenced title track and the jaunty, rollicking ‘Ding Dong’ (which wouldn’t sound out of place on the Kink’s Village Green Preservation Society) make for toe-tapping listening.

It’s infectious stuff – from the waltz-like tempo on ‘Holiday’ to the wobbly theremin meandering that is ‘Doctor’. Elsewhere, a reggae rhythm underpins ‘Only Love’; ‘Road Block’ is reminiscent of The Doors’ version of Berthold Brecht’s ‘Alabama Song (Whisky Bar); and ‘Waiting For The Sun’, an 80 second vignette with just xylophone and voice, leads neatly into ‘Trains’. In the midst of this melting pot, the most conventional track – country-ish ballad, ‘We Will Be In Love Again’ – is arguably the highlight.