As the pandemic continues to affect the outlet of creativity for artists, Jim McHugh is not letting up. With two singles and an album already released in 2021, he’s back again with his latest offering ‘Her Love’. This is a creation of beauty from the Monaghan songwriter, resembling the tradition of The National and Snow Patrol, painting imagistic portraits of pain, loss, and the moments in between. At the same time, the band as a whole meticulously carries the song from a slow burning build up towards a transportive and emotionally overwhelming journey.
“Her Love”, the third single from the album, Pretending To Wake Up, sees McHugh sounding more vulnerable than previous singles “Dave” and “Hey Jimbo”. The song starts with his voice in a somewhat low mellow state over a gentle backing of drums and guitar. “Leave my body where it lays,” he sings, “reflecting love’s own cries.” He is reminiscing about the love he once had and its near spiritual affect. To accompany this sentiment, he cuts the distractions, leaning on the autumnal slow burn of his band, a quality that feels like the calm before the storm.
The crescendo delivers perfectly to the listener at precisely the moment you want it in its own original format. The now identifiable sound of his style with bassist Paul McCabe, drummer James (Butch) McNeill, and Alex Borwrick on synth, “Her Love” follows on from a hushed and fragile, restrained vocal into a terrific outpouring of emotion. The song closes with the repeated chorus of ‘Her Love will find you again’ and with the full ensemble of the band, it makes for something very special with this song and a very special album in Pretending To Wake Up.
Stream “Her Love” here.
The single and album are now available on all digital platforms for streaming / download. CD and Vinyl LP are also available at https://jimmchughmusic.com
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