Luke Concannon – one half of folk duo Nizlopi (behind the 2005 #1 hit ‘JCB Song’) is the focus of today’s review. After a weekend of moving furniture, should the new sofa fit here – no let’s put it there, I am finally in a quiet zone and ready to review the new album from Luke Concannon.
I will share the press release with you pre-review:
“Anglo-Irish activist musician Luke Concannon unveils his new album and a run of UK headline shows.
Luke released his new album Midnight Bloom on 14th November, it is now out on all platforms. Punchy, passionate and bold, it’s a joyful yet hard-hitting return to recording after a long period of illness in his life. Following a grueling tour promoting his previous album, Luke was diagnosed with IBS and burn-out, leading to three years of poor health, fatigue and lost creativity.
His gradual recovery was driven by his desire to build a house for himself and his pregnant wife Stephanie, who was studying for her Master’s Degree in Boston. Buying eight acres of woods in Vermont, Luke lived in a small tent while building a yurt, and found his creative mojo returning through physical work as he wrote songs at 5am every morning in the woods. Soon after, Stephanie completed her degree, they welcomed their son Oran, and the songs became his first new album in four years. Luke has embraced the land and community, finding that life does indeed find a way, even through the darkness, if one shows up and plants the seeds.
On the inspiration for the album, Luke explains: “I’m a recovering perfectionist. I’m learning to let go and realise that ‘good enough’ is a better way to approach our lives. We live in an area with a rich history of back-to-the-landers who lived on the edges of culture, and yet still managed to shake up the world through community, art, and politics.”
Soulful album opener ‘Shine’ reflects this mindset while addressing the hostility of workaholism and its effect on creativity. Then ‘Stick Together’ questions this further, with Luke flying through current world events and calling for unification in the face of it all: ‘We could take this so much higher… If we just stick together.’
Throughout the album there’s plenty of groove, which is also present on ‘Namaste Away From Me’ as Luke uses positivity in the face of negativity, but not to the detriment of one’s self… ‘I try so hard to reconcile when relationships falter,’ he explains, ‘But sometimes you have to say “enough.” The end of the song is a prayerful chant for keeping our love alive for people even if we can’t be in touch.’
Performing throughout the album is multi-instrumentalist composer Darius Christian (Adele/Lenny Kravitz/Mumford & Sons/Gwen Stefani), with all horns arranged and played by him, as well as various keys and bass lines. He also contributes various harmonies, such as on one of their first collaborations ‘What Would You Change’, elevating its hopeful message of breaking through the hate.
And now…on with the review:
The album has 8 songs and runs at just over 28 minutes.
“Shine” opens with a stripped back funky sound with a positive upbeat drum and bass groove. Luke sings about wanting to embrace the forest and the beat takes you walking with confidence and bounce along the road of life. It has some great backing vocals and harmonies, I was glad I was reviewing the album when I heard this.
“Stick Together” is a rap based folk song, a reflection on trouble in the shire and a call for us to try and stick together in the face of the world’s troubles. It is a harder hitting song than the opener, still with a positive and uplifting chorus, those melting backing vocals elevating the pain of the unfolding world.
“Brother” takes us into the Ukraine War and the soldiers’ pain of what is happening to his country. It took me into the feeling of Stings “The Russians Love their Children Too” – it’s a political piece about the difficulties we face, how we can turn on each other.The vocal performance vocally is an emotive delivery.
“I Wanna Dance With You” is a more traditional folk style number, sad and blues infused. The chorus section has a nice drum sound that I liked, it drove the mid-section along. The song has a close intimate feel, r & b guitar and is one of those songs that you could see delivered in a small and intimate setting late at night
“ A Woman is Sacred” – “this track was inspired by meeting two women at a songwriting retreat and hearing about the unrealistic expectations placed on them in the music industry. While it may have originated from a certain context, its resulting message is universal, one which has led to tears from audiences when performed live.” The track has a female vocal and is about unwanted touches and attention that women can receive. It’s a weary and sad, reflective, song with some powerful vocals set to a stripped back guitar sound.
“Namaste Away From Me” is another melancholic number, this time about broken relationships and how the judge stares you down as the condemned. There was a time when there was love, now it is gone. Beautifully sung, but I need a drink now!
“Romy You’re Magical” – at over 5 minutes this is the longest track on the album. This song has an uplifting melody and backing harmony. Through the sadness comes the magic of holding your child and the moment of love relights the room and the album in turn. It’s a very simple track, very stripped down musically, but I liked it.
“What Would You Change?” opens with a story and a slowed down beat. This is an example of modern folk with a popular groove imbibed. It closes down the album with a gentle sway and a nod to old friends.
Midnight Bloom is a thoughtful, emotionally heavy record — beautifully crafted, often poignant, and clearly born from a period of deep personal reckoning. Every track was not entirely my cup of tea but there’s no denying Luke Concannon has poured heart, craft, and conviction into every track. Fans of modern folk with something real to say will find plenty to hold onto here.
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You can stream music from Luke Concannon here
By Anna-Louise Burgess