Irish music is in a very good place at the moment. It seems no matter where you look there is interesting musicians and artists trying to push the boundaries of creativity. This blog has regularly featured some of the artists who are starting to make waves on the Dublin music scene, but there are plenty of artists based outside of the capital who are also starting to garner recognition.

One of these artists is the Tralee-based dream-pop artist, PJ Galvin, otherwise known by his recording name Scenes. The multi-instrumentalist recently released his debut Scenes EP on 6 September and the collection of three tracks were the perfect demonstration of Scenes is all about.

scenes album cover

The EP opens with the track When I Get Old, a delightful investigation into how a relationship will develop and change as the years pass. There is a beautiful fragility to the lyrics across the song, and the sentiment at the heart of the track is expertly built upon by the instrumentation. The song opens with a simplistic acoustic guitar riff later being joined by excellent bass and electric guitar lines to flesh out the sound and further aid to the sonic landscape that Galvin is trying to create for us.

The follow up track, Cold, is the most sonically interesting and impressive on the EP. Galvin demonstrates all his ability to use instrumentation and production to create an atmosphere in his songs that perfectly compliments the lyrics and emotion at the core of the tracks. On this track, Galvin investigates the idea of wanting to explore and broaden your horizons while also knowing that you will miss that special someone if you do. This is a sentiment that will be instantly relatable for many people who listen to the song.

The closing track on the album is one of the more relaxed songs on the EP. The beginning electric guitar and bass rhythms hint at a different vibe across the song, and it again demonstrates the ability of Galvin to create emotion through his music. Stunning.

This is a very accomplished first offering by the talented Kerryman. We look forward to hearing more.

MK