It has been a busy few years for Jersey-born Tadhg Daly. He has released an impressive selection of songs which highlighted his grounded songwriting style with a wide range of soundtracks, of which, “Fires”, “Hit The Ground” and “Stuck In The Middle” perfectly showcase his talents. Daly is not letting his music momentum slow down as he has been more productive in the first half of 2020 by releasing the three new singles, including the sublime “Figure It Out”.
Now, Daly has been busy during the lockdown and created his double a-side single Home Recordings. As the title suggests, he recorded this release from his home with the help of Dustin Dooley. He says “I’ve been writing/recording from home (I’m lucky to live with my producer) so much during the lockdown. It felt important to release something from this period as soon as possible. So I recorded two stripped back versions of brand new songs and released them as my Home recordings. Both of the tracks tell a story about times in my life. When I have felt isolated and hopeless in my own mind. The writing was definitely inspired by the world having been forced into a similar mindset in some respects since the COVID-19 pandemic”.
The release begins with “I Don’t Feel Right”. Talking about it, Daly says ” I’ve always felt awkward around people since I was a kid. I’ve never been able to put my finger on exactly how I feel. But uncomfortable is probably the best word for it. At times it can be crushing. I’ve healed a lot of the scars from that period, but catharsis is always welcome. This song is definitely that for me”. You feel how he is connected to his words by the way he delivers the opening lines “I took it all in as I walked out and I heard you scratch the sky, like a million words for goodbye, when you killed me in your eyes”.
The stripped-back recording adds so much to his lyrics, so does his emotional vocals. Especially during the first half of his chorus “And in the corner of / Every little moment lost / I could never turn it off / Now tell me was it worth the cost / With hell below me I fell down”. The combination of his guitar and his voice says so much. As the song continues, his honest storytelling quality continues to shine.
The second half of this release offers a real gem of a track with “Cut Me Loose”. Here, Daly swaps his guitar for a piano to deliver yet another emotional musical moment. It opens up with the lines “I’m Craving a breakdown / Craving something bigger than the way I feel / And I don’t wanna fake now / But maybe I’m too late to wait for something real”.
Yet again, less is more when it comes to the music. Its gentle flowing sound with backing vocals creates a captivating atmosphere. It sets the stage for Daly to yet again, let his storytelling qualities steal the spotlight. Again his emotional tone grabs the listeners attention, especially during the opening to its chorus. His voice shines as he delivers “I’m gonna lose, I’m gonna lose / I’m gonna lose my mind / Just cut me loose, cut me loose / This time”. It all comes together to create one of his best songs to date.
Tadhg Daly strips back his music to let his songwriting talents shine
Home Recordings offers a different side to the music of Tadhg Daly. It will be interesting to see how it will influence his future tracks. Good news, there are new tunes already in the pipeline. Due to his high level of songwriting calibre already showcased, it’s hard not to look forward to what he is ready to share with the world.
