A west of Ireland native who is big in Switzerland but sounds like he was raised on Americana in a dusty Nashville dive bar – it must be confusing to be David Hope, but the mop-topped Clare man's methodology is paradoxically straightforward. These are mostly simple songs. Hope's husky growl proves most effective on the clutch of unembellished, finger-picked folk tunes such as
Flow
, while the intricate banjo-playing on
See the Ghost
is thoroughly enjoyable. The more vigorous full band affairs (
Fall and Rise
and
Hell or High Water
) are a little less convincing, and several songs underscore Hope's tendency to become bogged down in formulaic country-rock. Still, there is plenty for fans of the genre to admire amid the sunny strum of
Daybreak Someplace
and the tenuous, bluesy stalk of the title track.
Davidhope.ie Download:
See the Ghost, Flow
David Hope: Scarecrow
![](https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/RL7GY2V5FD5HYWETJ2R3LNWEJM.jpg?auth=607a1a70c0499dcd03a9a09dcaa3b26a10a5db469287eb3f4433b25c6b12cddd&smart=true&width=1024&height=1024)