24 Star Hotel
(48/100 Greatest irish Albums)

Things must’ve seemed pretty hopeless to the boy from Birr after he parted company with Sony in 2000, four years after the release of his fine debut Jellylegs. Not to be deterred, he set about wrestling back from the label the tapes that would form the basis of 24 Star Hotel. Released on his own label in 2002, this collection of 12 songs dealing with, in his own words, “love, life, addiction and travel”, had an instant impact and proved that Mundy was no one-hit-wonder. Memorable, original and highly melodic folk-rock numbers like ‘Mexico’, ‘Linchpin’ and ‘Drive’ put him in the forefront of the Irish singer-songwriter movement. But it was the single ‘July’ – a summer hit twice over – that made him the star he is today. An evocative paean to those lazy, hazy days, it continues to be a radio staple and a live favourite, which he performs with an added intensity.