Emmett Tinley is a survivor. Having navigated the treacherous waters of the music industry in the Prayer Boat for over a decade, you could forgive him for being disillusioned - but instead, the Dubliner has kept the faith and recorded his first solo album. And a very good solo album it is too. Crucially, it pulls off the delicate feat of sounding close enough to his old band to keep those fans, but also different enough to gain him some new ones. Against a low-key backing of muscular guitars and graceful strings, Tinley sings these sweetly wistful songs in an aching falsetto that's often strikingly reminiscent of Jeff Buckley. And while the melodies are not the sort that overwhelm you on a first listen, repeated plays reveals this album to have an emotional depth that most of his contemporaries can only aspire to. Let's just hope he doesn't leave it so long next time.
