Since releasing his 2011 debut, Ryan Sheridan has all but managed to shake off the “glorified busker” tag and has became a solid fixture on the Irish live music circuit.
The Monaghan man’s second album still retains the energetic thump and volume required to catch the ear of passersby – but is this always a good thing?
On several songs, there’s an unfortunate sense of over-production, the punchy percussion and brisk strum of his guitar feeling a bit overpowering at times.
He is most successful when negotiating melody and tempo in a more understated manner, as heard on standout track She Says or recent single Hearsay.
That said, Sheridan’s lack of self-indulgence means the majority of these radio-friendly anthems zip along tidily and without any great fuss.
