One of the hardest things for a musician to do is to make it sound like their voice should be heard. It can often be hard for musicians to stand out from everything else out there, but sometimes you hear a voice that has an authenticity and texture that draws you in.

That is undeniably the case the first time that you hear Dublin singer/songwriter Kenan Flannery performing. There is a maturity in the vocals that is hard to fake. Flannery started playing music when he was ten years of age and has been cultivating his craft ever since by performing in some of the most esteemed venues across Ireland, such as Smock Alley, Róisín Dubh, The Helix, and others.

This feeling of accomplished songwriting and certainty of sound are all prevalent on the single by the Dublin man, Hillside.

It is clear from listening to the track that a lot of care has gone into the songwriting and it is hard not to be attracted to the story telling on show. The sign of a good song is it’s ability to create images of a narrative in the mind of the listener and that is extremely prevalent across this track. Throughout the song, we are brought through a day of someone who has had their heart broken by a romantic partner as they move onto someone else, and our protagonist tries to find solace in places that used to bring them clarity of thought. It is a story or scenario that the majority of people who are listening will be able to relate to, and it is delivered with an emotion and integrity here that is hard to beat.

It will be very exciting to watch the career of Kenan Flannery develop over the coming years.

MK