A long line of talented musicians, from U2 to Sinead O'Connor, hail from Ireland. Continuing the tradition comes Mundy, from a town called Birr, so small (pop. 4 000) you need a magnifying glass to find it. But that doesn't stop him from creating some full-bodied rock'n'roll.
I can see why, with "Life's Just A Cinch," people make the comparison to Nirvana, with its blend of acoustic guitar during the verses and heavy electric guitar for the chorus. Mundy, however, resists the comparison, and claims a folk heritage along the lines of of Bob Dylan and Neil Young. Maybe when Mundy pens the songs they sound folky, but once his backing members literally electrify them, they take on a punchier tone.
In general, the production is sharp and clear, the lyrics can be decrypted without the liner notes (which is just as well, 'cause his handwriting is unreadable!), and, sign of a musician with experience playing live, all the songs snap shut without studio fadeouts.
The album starts off awkwardly with "Reunion". It's hard to put the finger on what's at fault; the song just drags. The second song however, "Pardon Me," is where Mundy really gets into the stride of things. The song is powered by a subterranean bassline, ringing guitar work, with the verses sung in restless urgency and a soaring chorus that is inspired and inspiring.
"Song For My Darlin'" is a longer, quieter ballad, a blend of acoustic and fuzzy electric guitars and toms. A heartfelt longing, and when he says "I shave my face almost every day now," you have to remember that Mundy is only 21 -w hich means that when I was born I was listening to Alice Cooper and other bands too embarrassing to mention. But I digress. I've had my attempts at writing lyrics, and, well, I've kept my day job. It's not I who could have come up with "I put you on a train, you should have heard the engine's laughter." in "Gin & tonic Sky".
"Blown Away" and "The stone" are more showcases for Mundy's talent. It seems that songwriting is effortless to him. The lyrics, the arrangements all seem to come naturally. I bet he had a lot of fun in his busking days. People must have thrown pennies in his guitar case and said "Man, you should be recording these songs". And this is where Mundy differs radically from the only other busker-turned-pro that comes to my mind, to whit, Gordon Gano and the Violent Femmes. The production (by Youth, ex-Killing Joke) of the album doesn't try to capture the barebones on-the-street-corner sound, but takes advantage of the studio, and puts it to good use.
Much of the richness also comes from his fellow musicians who should be given their fair share of the credit, Cion (Stan) O'Callaghan on drums, Shane (Fitzer) Fitzsimons on bass, Stephen (Steo) Farrell on electric guitar and Rosie Wetters who lends a touch of cello to a couple of tracks.
My favourite track on the album is "Springtown". A letter to friends left behind in a small town... something I can personally relate to. "How are they in Springtown,/can you still drink the water that flows 'neath the sports park?/Is there still apples in the castle to steal/and how does it feel to be stuck there?"
A common theme to his songs is the personal observation of the loss of friends, people going, travelling far away, going their way. The album closes with "Private Paradise", wherein Mundy himself says "You'll never see me again, cause I'm going away/Somewhere I can be on my own, all alone/Where all is calm." Mundy writes from the heart.
There are a few flaws here and there; hackneyed phrasings ("You're running low on coal/I'm running low on soul"), sometimes a tendency to bury songs in overworking. However, it's easy enough to forgive. As things stand I'm patient enough to give the lad ten years or more to see how he turns out. If he can survive the hype, he'll go a long way. Wish him good luck.
