The King of The Cats

When you queue up a Blue Coast Records album, you can be sure of one thing: you’re in for a masterclass on musicianship. Eamonn Flynn is no exception to this rule. Immensely skilled on the piano, Flynn has an ear for voicing, for bringing out the depths of beauty of the piano. On The King of The Cats, he approaches both traditional Irish songs as well as some gorgeous compositions of his own. The album has a sense of introspection and meditation. Through music, Flynn dedicates an ode to the diverse beauty of Ireland and the emotions it inspires. The audiophile quality recording that producer Cookie Marenco brings only further highlights the warm and full sound that Flynn’s piano playing has to offer. Rich in harmony, expansive in sound, full of emotional depth and breadth, The King of The Cats is a journey from start to finish, one that you will enjoy.

Album opener, “She Lived Beside The Anner / Eibhlí Gheal Chiúin” is the gorgeous beginning to our journey, full of heartfelt pauses where piano notes linger on before Flynn goes on with rich ornamentation. The second track, “Willie-O (Bay of Biscay),” gets us moving forward, with pulsing rhythms that may feel familiar to anyone who knows Celtic dance. Flynn infuses this sense movement with rich harmonies that are at once somber and beautiful, as if reflecting on the beauty of the green hills of Ireland. “Tráthnóna Domhnaigh” continues on with Flynn’s lush harmony. The textures are stunning and his use of ornamentation adds color and character. Slow, yet with a sense of movement, the track begins softly, building to a crescendo befitting of the grandness of Ireland. Album closer, “Tabhair Dom Do Lámh” is both refreshing and breathtaking, the perfect ending to our journey through Ireland. With a relaxed yet moving groove, Flynn takes us home, and how sweet that homecoming is.