Paddy Ormond has a knack for appearing in underappreciated Irish acts. After stints in the likes of Postcard Versions and The Claque – the latter of which I desperately hope reappear – Ormond has found himself a new moniker and musical playbook. The music he makes under Famille Rose is a far cry from the sumptuous noise rock of his other work but he has thankfully kept up the quality control.
All Dressed Up and Nowhere To Go, his latest release and debut under this moniker, is a genial, gentle delight. The breezy, four-track EP is laid-back indie coated with a slight shimmer of deftly-applied electronics. Opener The Last recalls the serene, atmospheric easy listening of Westerman in a track that will softly burrow its way into your brain through welcome osmosis. Ormond’s choirboy vocals soar over the alluring twang of the guitar to create a bewitching sound. He follows that up with Poolbeg, a moving ode to the iconic Dublin location in which the musician’s strumming works in glorious tandem with a warbly ambient tone that conjures up an image of a never-ending ripple of water. On closer Up And Down he contorts his voice into a husky murmur but it doesn’t detract from the simple uplift of the metronomic melody of the guitar.
It’s already been mentioned how Paddy Ormond often pops up in underrated bands. If he’s not getting attention based on this work, he’ll continue that unfortunate streak. We can’t let that be the case.
Famille Rose – All Dressed Up With Nowhere To Go
[The Corner Records]
Words: Mark Conroy
