Back in 2016, Tipperary singer/songwriter Pauric O’Meara launched himself on to the Irish music scene with an appearance on the RTÉ TV talent show, The Voice of Ireland. During his blind audition he sang a totally reworked cover of the Irish music anthem Maniac 2000, a performance that marked him out as one of the early favourites for the show and saw him picked up to be mentored by Niall Breslin of The Blizzards.

Although not going on to win the show, the experience garnered by O’Meara performing in front of a massive audience every week proved invaluable to his development as a songwriter. Since then the talented Tipperary performer has moved from his home town up to Dublin to study to be a primary schoolteacher, and it was at this time that he began to forge out a respected reputation gigging around the capital city.

Last August, O’Meara played his biggest headline show to date in the capital when he played a gig in The Sound House. It was a fantastic night of music that also doubled as a fundraiser for MS Ireland. Since the turn of the year, O’Meara has been working hard releasing new music through official singles and online covers as he continues to hone his craft and build his repertoire of music.

His first single back in January Is It Real?, was followed up last week with his most recent release, the fantastic Wasted Time. These two songs are to build anticipation for his upcoming EP Looking Forward to Hindsight.

This is a fantastic single. The perfect representation of everything that Pauric O’Meara is trying to do with his music up to this point.

The first thing that strikes you when you listen to the track are the vocals from the performer. There is something raw and authentic about the texture of O’Meara’s voice, it suggests at an honesty and vulnerability that is impossible to fake or simulate – it lends itself particularly well to the brand of storytelling that he trades in. On Wasting Time, we are made privy to a failing relationship and given an introduction to the maelstrom of emotions that can be associated with this time in someones life. The song hints that even during difficult times there is still an opportunity to live our best lives, and often this only comes when we make the difficult decisions, such as ending something that was once important to you.

The instrumentation on this track is also the perfect fit for the story in the song. Beginning very stripped back before launching into a powerful guitar and drum driven piece, helping to signify going from a period of helplessness to assertiveness as you take back your life. This is common across much of O’Meara’s music, the ability to make the best use of instrumentation to tell the story of the song.

If this is a sign of what’s to come then it’s going to be something to very much look forward to.

MK