Ray Heffernan & The Grand Canal Band: New Dress Woven
Ray Who? How about the Ray who had a hand in kick-starting the careers of Declan O’Rourke and Wallis Bird, and who signed away the rights to Robbie Williams’s million-selling
Angels
. Undaunted, the Dubliner returns with a new, often perplexing album that references Patrick Kavanagh (the title is inspired by the poet’s
Canal Bank Walk
), the 1981 Stardust nightclub tragedy (
Stardust
) and a historic Dublin pub (
Gravediggers
). Now based in northern Italy, Heffernan is accompanied by seasoned Italian musicians; the problem isn’t the musicianship but the musical styles, which zigzag from bland Eurovision fodder (
Carparking
) and efficient ethnic pop (
Amy’s Answer
) to mind-
boggling blends of Fountains of Wayne and Pink Floyd (
As You Were
). Sometimes weird, sometimes good – but we’re not exactly sure why.
rayheffernan. net
Download:
Amy’s Answer
