Darragh O'Dea – Tilly and the Postmaster
Pharmacy Attic Records – Oct 29, 2021
Some things never change, that's just part of what matters Darragh O'Dea& # 39; s solo debut, Tilly and the Postmaster, so interesting. Even if he is not known to many, that will change. The album is dedicated to his grandparents Neil, the retired postmaster in Tuam who died in 2020, and his wife Tilly, who died in January. Darragh wanted to celebrate her memory at a difficult time for his family.
They begin with Neil's words and then move on to “Tár Isteach Amach”, a song about a traveling man who returns to the herd, at least temporarily. Building on a series of drones leading to a sad melody, it offers a glimpse of the traveler's supposedly romantic life spent / So be kind when you go to meet those you meet on the road / It's not there where we have been, but where we are going. "
Traditions are shown on Guerrilla Warfare In Your Back Garden. A strong beat combines with guitars, keyboards and banjos to create a melody that highlights the bitterness that comes with being the firstborn in Irish culture. Katharine Priddy offers harmony singing while O & # 39; Dea expresses the frustration of his brother trying to sell his beloved family home: “But you say, & # 39; I am the eldest son, I am the chosen one / I please / So clearly out of the way, it's too late, now it's in my name / Where there's a will, there's a war, that's a guarantee. '"The song ends by asking what was won along the way and what was lost.
This collection of songs has so much history, some personal, some go straight to the heart of the conflicts that have plagued Ireland for centuries. “Split The Difference (La Resistance) explores differences that never seem to go away and how they affect two friends. "Tyrone" deals with historical issues while "Songs for the People of Tuam" is a letter to his hometown as O & # 39; Dea announces that there is a connection between him and the local people of Small Town / Any Free Spirit who has ever been knocked down / I don't know you, but I'm proud of you. "
"Tilly and the Postmaster" is one of the most intriguing songs in an album full of them, and tells the story of a funeral for O'Dea's grandfather who was still in lockdown. He sings it with the Irish spirit that motivated him and his grandfather. “We put him in the floor / surrounded by close family / I wasn't there but on a chair and saw it on a screen / I know he'd laugh at the thought of it / after the close life we had shared. "
Not much music holds up the determination and depth Darragh O’Dea shows on Tilly and the Postmaster. This is a CD for anyone who appreciates the power of music – to uncover, to endure and, in the end, to give hope.
Tickets for my first Dublin headline gig at Whelan's on November 28th are now on sale – https://www.whelanslive.com/darragh-odea/
https://www.darraghodeamusic.com/
