Hail the Ghost review – Arrhythmia that does the heart good

An arrhythmia is a problem with the rate or rhythm of one’s heartbeat, but this Dublin art-rock trio will only do the heart and soul good.

“Music can affect and music can absolutely dictate how you’re going to feel in the morning, in a day, or in a moment,” intones a voice in the opening track, Prologue, introducing a smart collection of intelligent and sensitive rock for their second album and follow up to Forsaken in 2015.

The highly accomplished trio’s musicianship is topped off with fine vocals from Kieran O’Reilly, who is best known for his role as a Garda detective in Love/Hate and History Channel series Vikings. Ian Corr features on piano and keys and Eamon Young completes a highly effective line-up on guitar, who are well able to tackle a range of moods, sounds and textures.

Sweet Samurai is a finely crafted slow-burning pop rock song that The National would be proud to call their own, while Home displays a keen grasp on song dynamics to create a sense of drama and excitement.   Hail the Ghost launch Arrhythmia with a live soirée in Whelan’s at the end of January. Definitely one to keep tabs on in 2020 and beyond.