Gavin Glass: Opus Pocus review – A successful experiment

Songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, recording studio owner, radio presenter, band member – you might think that Gavin Glass has bitten off more than any busy person can chew, but his new album proves he has the intuitive skill set to juggle a handful of apples without dropping any.

Those expecting a throwback to his praiseworthy folk/rock songs, however, are in for a surprise. Wearing his producer’s hat as much as his musician’s, Glass solders his songwriting craft to an experimental approach that snags the attention track after track (all of which bleed into each other).

Filtered between solid-gold pop/rock (Thirty Somethings, Break your Daddy's Heart, Horseshoe Tattoo, Embers & Fire) and a weepy ballad or two (including Don't go Thinking, Bad Reputation) are three ambient and electronica inserts. Titled OP#3, OP#14, OP#41 – and classified by Glass as "widescreen interludes designed to tempt the listener off the beaten track and in to the long grass" – they go some way to not only showcasing Glass's broader creative scope but also placing the album's "real life" narrative punch into context.

The launch gig for the album takes place on July 13th, in Whelan’s, Dublin.