IN AUGUST I caught Edmund "Mundy" Enright in action at the Project, and felt that I was in the presence of impending greatness. It wasn't just that he had some good tunes, or that his band kicked ass - it was the way in which Mundy's bright personality permeated every note, filling the sound with an infectious joie de vivre. Here was no earnest, self absorbed, singer songwriter bent on making the world share his pain, nor a preening, pretentious wannabe Jesus. Here was a clear, honest voice, free of angst and ego, a refreshing stream of cosmic consciousness, and we all floated merrily, merrily, merrily down.
Last Monday night, Mundy played his first headliner at Whelans of Wexford Street, the final date on his country wide tour. A capacity crowd turned up to hear the boy from Birr, and Mundy opened with For My Darlin', a slow burning folk rock workout which balanced acoustic guitar strumming with heavy lead guitar assault.
Gin & Tonic Ski was another smooth cocktail of evocative imagery and electric delivery, the band providing shot after shot of intoxicating sound while Mundy poured on the effervescent lyrics. Songs like Pardon Me and Sisters seemed to miss their targets, but Arrow Of Gold pointed back in the right direction. The closer, Life's A Cinch, took that popular boy scout ditty, Row, Row, Row Your Boat, and sent it crashing down the rapids in a burst of youthful exuberance.
Mundy is still only 20, but he's already been compared to such disparate artists as Bob Dylan and Kurt Cobain; he's done a successful UK tour with Alanis Morissette, and his first EP should be out soon on Epic Records. He may not be the great white hope of Irish Rock, but Mundy sure as hell is a prime candidate for New Folk Hero.
