Aine Duffy: With Bells On | Album Review

If Kate Bush's early material has not played a part in Áine Duffy's musical make-up, we'll eat our proverbial hat. Unfortunately for the Cork native, the similarities end there. Duffy's vocals are undoubtedly idiosyncratic, but her insistence on singing in an unsteady (and occasionally unlistenable) falsetto on the majority of these acoustic-led tracks is even more baffling when you hear her perfectly satisfactory normal range. The sultry slump of Don't Do Much is immediately improved by Duffy's relaxed vocal chords, Excuses infuses the album's maudlin tone with a necessary rock snarl, while Wallet Keys Phone evokes a swarthy blues-rock vibe that is not unlike Mary Coughlan. An experienced producer and some steady musical guidance might have made all the difference. aineduffy.ie