Áine Cahill has released her new EP and the music video for the title track ‘Blue Valentine’.
This bluesy-pop, 5 track EP is reminiscent of Lana Del Ray and covers a number of topics including dishonesty, narcissism and getting over an ex. The tracks build with intensity as you listen and the EP ends with Cahill’s infamous track “Black Dahlia’.
‘Blue Valentine’ explores the topic of getting over an ex and dismissing them after they reach out unexpectedly. The chilled, melancholic track sets the tone for the rest of the EP. The accompanying video for the track which was directed by Noel Paul shows Cahill destroying things associated with her ex. It perfectly portrays the story of the song and the anger felt towards the old relationship.
‘Plastic’ talks about cutting fake and dishonest people from your life who create unnecessary drama. The cool, sustained string notes and complementary vocal harmonies add to the “I see through your bullshit’ vibe of this track.
‘Pretty Boy’ focuses on a character who is narcissistic shallow and completely oblivious to the outside world. The vocal harmonies on the track are beautiful with a nice, repeated staccato string idea. The drums and bass really set the tone nicely.
‘The 27 Club’ has a Celtic, Riverdance like opening slightly contrasting to the other tracks on the EP. This song talks about living life just for a good time and avoiding responsibilities. It builds up to a powerful final chorus with an instrumental section to bring the song to a close.
The final track ‘Black Dahlia’ is arguably Cahill’s most popular song and it takes inspiration from the famous American ‘Black Dahlia’ murder. A dark counter-melody on the strings with call & response and countermelodic backing vocals add to the ominous nature of the song. It finishes with a slick guitar idea.
Overall this is an excellent release from Cahill and starts what is no doubt going to be an exciting year for her.
Words by Kym Duignan
mnasome.com 