Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble – A Terrible Beauty
A Terrible Beauty is the debut album from the Northern Ireland new music group Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble. Released on the Diatribe label, and recorded at the Sonic Arts Research Centre in Queen’s (where HRSE is currently Ensemble in Residence), the record is a double-album presenting chamber works from composers such as John Buckley, Greg Caffrey, Rhona Clarke, Frank Corcoran, Kevin O’Connell, Jane O’Leary, Iain McCurdy, Simon Mawhinney, Ryan Molloy, Gráinne Mulvey and Amy Rooney. Conducted by Sinéad Hayes, HRSE’s musicians include Aisling Agnew, Sarah Watts, Joanne Quigley-McParland, Dave McCann, Daniel Browell and Alex Petcu plus guests Will Curran, Ciaran McCabe, Thomas Jackson and Adrian Mantu. The disc takes its name from a Greg Caffrey trilogy that emerged over a seven-year period of Hard Rain’s concert giving, inspired by the poetry of W.B. Yeats. The artwork on the cover is by Paula Caffrey. A Terrible Beauty is an important statement from a group that has been busy commissioning, performing and making its presence felt on the new music scene in recent years. Purchase the album from Bandcamp: https://shop.diatribe.ie/album/a-terrible-beauty 

Niamh Regan – Love You Senseless
‘Love You Senseless’ is the new single from Galway-based singer-songwriter Niamh Regan. The song is the latest release from her upcoming EP In The Meantime, which is out early next year, and follows previous single ‘Happy Again’. Regan’s 2020 debut album Hemet was nominated for the RTÉ Choice Music Prize. The chiming, bright love song with repeated electric guitar hook was written about the difficulty of watching a loved one suffer. Commenting on the new song, Regan said, ‘watching someone you love struggle can be difficult and this song focuses on the question of “how we can fix it” and how irritable and guilty we can become when there’s no immediate answer.’ Purchase ‘Love You Senseless’ on Bandcamp: https://niamhregan.bandcamp.com/

Junior Brother – Life’s New Haircut
Junior Brother, the pseudonym of alt-folk Kerry singer-songwriter Ronan Kealy, has this week released ‘Life’s New Haircut’. The song has a melancholic emotiveness to it, as Kealy sings – in his distinct rasp – with a simple accompaniment of hammered chords on guitar. Commenting on the track, Kealy said, ‘The blades of razors split the sky long after this poem was put onto a page a few years ago. The recording of the song to tape happened to finally come just before all our worlds closed down. It found its true meaning shortly thereafter with the new shape the world span in accentuating its sentiments. Although allegorical, I believe this song speaks for itself. Aren’t you glad we’re not alone?’ The accompanying video was directed by Ayla Amano and stars dancer and actor Stephanie Dufresne and actor and composer Dylan Tonge Jones. Visit: www.strangebrew.ie/junior-brother-store/lifesnewhaircut

Sarah McQuaid – The St Buryan Sessions
Singer-songwriter Sarah McQuaid has this month released her sixth solo album, The St Buryan Sessions. The record was created with the help of a crowdfunding campaign and features McQuaid performing solo in the medieval church of St Buryan in Cornwall. The echoing acoustics of the church can be heard in the recording throughout, creating a layered effect. McQuaid performs on guitar, piano and floor tom-drum as well as singing and includes songs from her 24-year career such as ‘Charlie’s Gone Home’ and ‘If We Dig Any Deeper It Could Get Dangerous’, as well as jazz song ‘Autumn Leaves’. McQuaid has also been releasing a series of videos on YouTube featuring songs from the album while it was being recorded. Visit: https://sarahmcquaid.bandcamp.com/

MuRli and Gemma Dunleavy – Odyssey
Rap artist MuRli has just released a new track ‘Odyssey’ featuring songwriter and producer Gemma Dunleavy. The song is the first release from MuRli’s upcoming EP The Sky Has Windows, which follows the release of his debut solo EP Till The Wheels Fall Off released on Narolane Records last year. The track has a punchy bass, twinkling synths and a smooth blend of vocals between the two artists. Visit: https://found.ee/MuRli-Odyssey

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