Welcome to the forefront of 21st century poetry. Though there may still be nearly 80 years to go (if we make it that far), I’m happy to stick my neck out and claim Sinead O’Brien is one of the finest poetic voices of this millennia.
As with all her releases to date, there’s a smirking disregard for conventionality in favour of what the Limerick-born lyricist wants to do instead. Forget your run of the mill pop music phrasings, the way O’Brien lays our her words becomes almost psychedelic as the rest of her band create beautfiul, cacophonic sounds to set that perfect uncertain mood. The genius here is in the delivery, with every single line feeling important and adding further detail to a heady tale. Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of seeing O’Brien live will know the ease with which she commands the stage – it’s a no frills experience that never fails to captivate the whole damn room as they follow a maze of clever words full of misdirects, wordplay and stark warnings.
This isn’t a track you’d expect to hear blaring out in a Slug & Lettuce pub garden, but it should definitely be on the national curriculum for years to come.
We Close Tonight 