Caruso: Everything You Need Is Here

It's easy to see why Shane Ó Fearghail, the man behind Caruso, has had small pockets of success around Europe. The Dubliner makes the sort of music that you can imagine on heavy rotation on radio stations in Germany, Austria, Switzerland: easygoing tunes with a pop-rock bounce akin to Irish band Picturehouse. His second album suffers from excessive length (54 minutes) and a lack of contrast between saccharine burble (the Jason Mraz-like ukulele strum of Hey Little Sister) and some necessary darker fare. Yet when Ó Fearghail strays from the songwriting clichés, there's potential. Despite the predictable chug of some songs, there are just as many – such as the shady shimmer of Man Walks Into Doors – to keep the listener humming contentedly. caruso.ie
Download: All Your Features (Disappear), Man Walks Into Doors