When you're just one man with a guitar, it can be an onerous task to command an audience, but Peter Doran deftly sidesteps the trapdoor of whiny troubadours with his fourth album. The Mullingar native may evoke instant comparisons with the likes of Damien Rice and The Prayer Boat, but there is more to Doran's canon than reflective balladry, with piano, drums and strings filling in the gaps here and there. Admittedly, some tracks drift by aimlessly, but Always Kind is an affecting love song with some ear-catching lyrics ("She is the safe way through the mountains, / She is the pennies in your fountain") and Things You're Dreaming is tinted with a sumptuous, yet understated, soul-lounge vibe. Outlines isn't quite the finished article, but Doran has nailed a very particular tone and feeling with this record. peterdoran.com