You might be wondering who Preachers Son are? Well don’t worry about that because we are here to fill in the gaps before we tear this album apart and get at the core of this amazing sound.
Preachers Son are Brian Hogan, you may have heard of Brian through his work with Irish folk music group Kíla and Emmaline Duffy, formerly of Engine Alley. The two Dubliners came together last year to create a sound of their very own and have been working hard for the past 12 months to establish a name for themselves on the Irish music scene.
A highly talented bass player, Brian hangs onto the guitar as he steps forward to take to the microphone with Preachers Son, accompanied occasionally by the vocals of Emmaline who sits quiet comfortably before the drums. In the last twelve months, they have worked and shared their stage with Tabby O Callaghan, Shane Fitzsimons and Kieran Kennedy to name but a few and aside from their shows have invested blood sweat and heart into their debut album ‘Love Life & Limb’.
The eleven track album is the perfect companion for anyone with a love for soulful rock and melancholic tones. Mashing their experience together, Brian and Emmaline concoct an intoxicating album crammed with the heavy sounds of guitar, hypnotic vocals and a rhythm you could live your life by.
There is no simple way to pin down the sound that carries you through the album, evolving naturally but sporadically throughout the course of the songs. It is a sound that is open to all sorts of interpretation but definite elements include: blues, old rock and glam punk – of course these all vary from track to track and you can be forgiven for being confused as to where you draw these influences from. Every aspect of Preachers Son’s music sounds so different to the other, from guitar to drums to vocals but somehow these separate entities are mashed together and a perfect sound is formed and a fantastic album is created.
Photo by Dave Keegan
This contrast of sounds is highlighted greatly when Emmaline duets with Brian. Hogan’s vocals have an old earthy vibe, every word is weighed down by the raw emotion he seems to enrich every song with.
‘Should Have Been Gone’ is a perfect example of the hypnotic affect of Brian’s voice, paced perfectly with the rhythmic beat of Emmaline on the drums, there is something native and primal about his voice, something that reaches into your soul and stirs you, even if it is only for just a moment. The unbridled passion that is found in Brian’s voice is a trait that a lot of today’s music makers have lost, music takes time to make and can’t be rushed if it is something you wish to perfect.
When accompanied by the sweet and delicate tones of Emmaline, the passion and energy in Brian’s voice only intensifies more and together the ancient earthy tones are accompanied by a younger and fresh sound.
They seem to make music their own and their cover of the Dusty Springfield classic ‘Son of a Preacher Man’ sounds like something that they created all of their own accord. Turning the favourite classic into something a lot darker, a song not unlike Nick Cave’s ‘Where the Wild Roses Grow’, proving the power these two have over music.
On a whole the album sounds like it grew from the soil of the deep south in America, raised by rebellious teenagers and aged by dying rock stars and blues musicians.
If at first you find yourself deterred by the coarse vocals or heaviness weighing down the album then we can only urge to give it a second listen, a chance to let the music grow on you and if you are looking for music that will not only withstand the test of the time and passing musical fads, something that will only grow better with age, then ‘Love Life & Limb’ is where your searching can stop.
We can guarantee you this is not the last we have heard of Preachers Son, for them to stop making music would be a loss for the Irish scene and the industry. So forget what you are doing now and grab yourself a copy.
Track Listing for ‘Love Life & Limb’
1. 26 Years
2. Born Another Time
3. Book of Love
4. X For Sandra
5. This Time of Life
6. Lipstick (feat. Gavin Friday)
7. Son of A Preacher Man
8. Rain
9. Heaven For the Moment
10. Should Have Been Gone
11. Lost My Faith
Love Life and Limb is available here to download now.
If you would like to learn more about Preachers Son, then you can check out their official website here and for frequent updates and exclusives please see their official Facebook page.
Photo by Phillippe Mathys
