Tailor made

Twenty-four-year-old Agnew from Dundalk has slowly but surely been making a name for himself on the singer songwriter circuit for the past couple of years, both on his own and through some high profile supports with the likes of Beth Orton, Ron Sexsmith and the Four Of Us. It’s still early days for him, maybe a little too early for – while there’s nothing inherently wrong with Tailor Made – it’s a tad too anonymous to really strike home.

Agnew seems to still be searching for his own voice and style, trying to enhance his basic acoustic roots with various electronic tinkering – an often unnecessary distraction. He has a knack for a sweeping melancholy that would be worth developing, putting brass and strings to good use on ‘Easy River’, certainly ahead of the overtly fussy style of ‘Set In Stone’ which is alarmingly reminiscent of Dire Straits.

While not a classic debut by any means, Tailor Made is at least coming from an honest, sincere place and – as the success of the Frames, Kitt, Mundy and Turner has proved again and again – that’s not a bad place too start.