Welcome To Farewell - Clive Barnes

If Co Wexford isn’t exactly the Mississippi Delta, you’d never know it from Clive Barnes’ second album. For this 25 year old Irishman is a student of the blues, but not the hackneyed Saturday night pub variety – Barnes’ style is subtle, fresh and original (his main instrument is the little heard lapslide guitar).

Blessed with a rich, smoky voice that matches the gentle acoustic backing, his songs are low key but powerful; the listener has to come to him rather than being overwhelmed by a wall of sound.

Placing an emphasis on the overall effect rather than flashy individualism, Barnes still shows the odd moment of instrumental brilliance, matched by Paul Kelly’s darting fiddle. On paper, this just shouldn’t work, but Welcome To Farewell is in the flesh an incredible, heart-warming record and one that deserves to be up there when the end of year plaudits are being handed out.