Conal Montgomery - Isaac
Folk, Country, Singer/Songwriter
KILLYLEAGH, United Kingdom
Overall Impression: Based upon the true story of Isaac Montogomery and his unfortunate demise at the hands of the sea in 1903, "Isaac" is a fantastic blend of Irish folk, rock, and alternative music styles that boasts excellent performances and a deeply profound songwriting style that Conal Montogomery truly makes his own. Abundant in melody and with a strong theme at its heart, this is a track that offers listeners a plethora of interesting musical concepts to dive into, whether it'd be the highly tasteful lead guitar work, inspired inclusion of the pan pipes, or the very strong vocal performance at its core, "Isaac" is a great bit of songwriting that contains both great depth and maturity in its craftsmanship.
Strongest Point(s): Conal has done a mighty fine job at translating Isaac's story to song, the lyrics paint both a thematically potent and vividly detailed picture of Isaac's untimely end and present listeners with meaningful and thought-provoking insights into the unfortunate events that surround the character. There are some fantastic and inspired additions that help provide even more tonal shades to the track, the pan pipes for example add a subtle new age edge to the track that conjures up a certain dreamlike feeling that contrasts brilliantly with the song's other distinct ideas. Conal's vocal performance is very strong indeed and embodies all the necessary emotion and nuance that the lyrics require in order to reach their full effectiveness, it also helps that the music that accompanies Conal's vocal performance is of a very high standard and provides plenty of rhythmic and melodic intrigue to keep listeners fully satisfied throughout. The diverse instrumentation certainly aids the song's sonic diversity and allows the arrangement to explore a great deal of timbral ground, whether it'd be the subtle use of strings, the tender nature of the piano, or the contrasting tonal colors that both the acoustic and electric guitar elements bring to the table, this is an exciting arrangement that's full of detail.
Target Audience Appeal: Lovers of folk-inspired rock will certainly find "Isaac" to be an excellent listening experience.
Artist target suggestions: The Porters, Pink Floyd, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, The War on Drugs, Dylan LeBlanc, Fleet Foxes, David Sylvian, R.E.M. Pearl Jam, Glen Hansard, The Frames
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About the Reviewer:
Andre Avanessian is a freelance session musician, composer, and sound engineer based in the U.K. Having studied music production and composition at a degree level, he has taken his passion for all things audio-related to a level that has allowed him to become both a competent musician and performer. Being a self-confessed "Guitar Nerd" Andre has been continually studying the guitar, as well as teaching it, helping students both learn the instrument, develop their songwriting, and how to become proficient in home recording.