Kieran Goss is big in Ireland. I'm not sure if he wears a hand knitted sweater or a corduroy jacket but it didn't take more than a song or three before the phrase "housewives' favourite" came to mind.
Probably because of its intended market, "I'll Be Seeing You" is understated in its approach. Every song is taken at a leisurely pace with absolutely nothing to startle you. Even when he is doing the heartbreak thing - as in "The One That Got Away" - Kieran Goss is so damnably polite that he actually makes the song somewhat surreal. "No Good Without You" again hides the passion of his words behind a seriously laconic - almost oblique - presentation. Even the closest thing to a protest song on this album ("Make The Morning Shine") begins with "please" and ends with "Thank you". Don't get me wrong - there is nothing wrong with any of the songs or performances but I just wished he'd rev it up on occasion. After all, Val Doonican could shake the walls when he wanted to and it didn't affect his sales.
This album scares me a little bit. It is so mellow that it makes Ovaltine look like a stimulant and, by the end, I was overcome with an urge to wear a cardigan and some comfy slippers. For a moment, I even thought of giving up beer and wild women. So, to be honest, this is an easy album to hate then but it is also a difficult album to fault. It's that convincing and I can say without a doubt that Kieran Goss knows exactly what he is doing.