After hearing Kevin Dolan’s song “Modern Times” a week ago, I couldn’t wait to listen to EP it was lifted from, Home Movies. I’ve played it twice this morning, and it’s proven to be just the music I needed to hear to wind down on a Friday.
Actually, it’s just the sort of music I like to hear at any time. This six-track collection has everything I loved about the single but that bit more. You can enjoy a song on its own for what it is, but when you hear an EP like this you start feeling like you’re getting to know the artist.
As you might expect from an EP penned by an Irishman living in Australia, themes of displacement and longing run through Home Movies. Beautiful songs like “Gone” and the EP’s closer “The Station,” in which Kevin sings with only his acoustic guitar as support, really resonated with me. But there’s a much cheekier side to his music too which he showcases on the Gaelic blues track “Fairytale Blues #3.” I’m not quite sure how the musical influences of this song marry so well, but he manages to pull it off.
Home Movies is real, raw, and beautiful. Kevin Dolan’s husky voice isn’t perfect, but his flaws make this recording feel that much more honest and compelling. He’s a storyteller, the kind of artist we don’t hear enough of these days. Home Movies is a wonderful introduction to his music.
Home Movies is available on November 1. Kevin Dolan will support it with a show at Melbourne’s Bar Open on November 15.