Each Small Candle is a seventeen track project brought together by the second year music technology students in Cavan Institute. Mostly acoustic in nature the album shows a cross section of Cavan Artists.
The album features Shouting At Planes, Lisa O’Neil, C O’Neil & Co and Daire O’Reilly along with many others this writer hadn’t heard before. The styles throughout also vary from traditional, to blues and dance, yes dance.
There are a few nice surprises on the album including the Dara Stacke’s Mr Snooze, a country punk track I wasn’t expecting and Sean Maguire’s sublime ‘Two Swans on The Lake’. It’s understated Americana with great guitar and subtle backing vocals.
One of my favourite tracks on the album is John O’Grady’s atmospheric ‘Anyone’. O’Grady’s delicate voice counterbalances isolated string plucks until everything rises, then falls away again. I really want to hear more from his artist. Plus the production from the students, shows a hell of a lot of potential.
Just when it seems the compilation is winding down, the last two tracks provide a pleasant kick. Dance music made in Cavan isn’t something I would ever have written about. Ciaran Farrelly’s ‘You Got Me Thinking’ is a funky house track while Gary Maguire’s ‘Uneven’ could easily be a club anthem. Surprised? Yes I am!
Each Small Candle is a great insight into the current Cavan music scene and shows it’s diversity well. Well worth a listen and what’s more all proceeds from the sale go to Sosad.