Emmet Scanlan & What the Good Thought released their debut album “Hands” on March 6th 2009. Since gracing the realms of my lovely i-pod nano three weeks ago, this twelve track album has been quite literally glued to my ears ever since. It’s an absolute feast for the ears; there’s so much going on. The music has that intriguing hard-to-come-by quality where-by something new probes your ears and mind’s attention with every consecutive listen.
The raw melodic timbre of Emmet’s voice sits comfortably above the foundation provided by a classical and acoustic guitar, violin, cello, banjo, bass, backing vocals and a mix of atmosphere enhancing percussion. The music has a rich blend of influences thanks to the band behind it. Emmet himself is Irish along with Cathal Doherty who plays bass. Alan Preims is from Italy and is responsible for the albums distinct percussion sounds. The use of progressive, booming bongos brings the tracks to life. Peter Akerstrom adds some Spanish flair on his classical guitar although he himself is actually from Sweden. The album would certainly not be complete if it wasn’t for the Scottish Nicola Geddes’ contribution of heavily resonant cello lines.
The songs on the album were all written by Emmet and were influenced by his time spent traveling the world. His lyrics are beautifully crafted and contemplated. Tracks like “Helicopter”, “Hands”, “Life’s a Bitch” and “Estranged” have a sense of reflection and poignancy that simply make art art, while love songs like “Take my Hand” and “Gotcha Looking on” give the album its sense of sweet, endearing vulnerability. This album is definitely one for the record collection (for those of you who still have one).
Favorite Tracks: Too many to choose.
Rating: 10/10
Great review , looking forward to checking this out , sounds interesting