Ultan’s left-of-centre Country-Rock 

THE name Ultan Conlon is a new enough one to many on the Irish music scene even though he had his debut album almost four years ago. Once again he shows signs of having the ability to produce deeply affecting songs as evidenced by his current single Lonely Avenues which demands that you sit down and slowly listen to it over and over. On his debut album Ultan combined common themes and familiar situations with coherent prose in a musical style that was rooted deeply in traditional Rock â€Ëœnâ€â„¢ Roll, Country and Folk. To the ear of this writer one can detect shades, however faint, in Lonely Avenues of the Mick Hanly composition Past the Point of Rescue. Perhaps I will be the only one to hear a sound that may be vaguely similar to the Mick Hanly-Hal Ketchum hit but if others detect a slight similarity it might not be a bad omen at all for its commercial success. Itâ€â„¢s not Country and itâ€â„¢s not Pop but Ultanâ€â„¢s comforting and uncontrived vocal delivery give it a unique sound that is somewhere in between those two music genres. For many songwriters there is one event or occurrence that has such significance in their lives that they will always point to it as the time of transformation or moment of epiphany. For the Galway city-born singer that shift happened at the age of 13 when his father passed away. Ultanâ€â„¢s earliest memories are that of his dad singing along as old standards crackled through the car radio. While always drawn to music, until this time heâ€â„¢d never felt the need to create his own. A proficient guitarist whoâ€â„¢d been taught traditional folk tunes, he had suddenly tapped his creative well and took to the process of songwriting with voracity. â€Å“I write as a form of comfort. I know when I start to feel a bit off there is potentially a creative period ahead,â€Â says Ultan. The results of his first foray into songwriting came in the form of Ultanâ€â„¢s first record Bless Your Heart in 2009. Recorded with a band that heâ€â„¢d assembled after a few years of playing across Europe and the US, the album garnered high praise from listeners and reviewers alike. It was described as â€Å“the most impressive Irish debut since Damien Riceâ€â„¢s,â€Â in a review in the Evening Herald. The current single will also be featured on his soon to be released Songs of Love So Cruel album. After demoing the tunes at home, basic tracks were recorded in three days at Grouse Lodge Studios in Co Westmeath.  Final versions were completed with the help of collaborator Eoin McCann under the watchful eyes and ears of producer Colin Elliott in his Sheffield, UK studio. On the current single Lonely Avenues Ultan asks the listener to hark back to a different era, not necessarily of simpler times but certainly slower and perhaps less complicated. The generations may be different but the feelings and the experience of a manâ€â„¢s love remains the same through the ages. With a new album and videos coming soon, plus tours to follow, including a gig in The Crane Bar, Galway on Friday May 17, there is much excitement as Ultan approaches the next step in what could be a long and fulfilling career. It could be especially fulfilling for him if Lonely Avenues strikes a chord with enough listeners and goes on to stand the test of time in the way that Mick Hanlyâ€â„¢s hit for Hal Ketchum became a classic, if left-of-centre Country standard.