David Turpin - The Sweet Used-to-Be

1 of 1

A mix of happy and sad

When your debut features samples from Nico's 'These Days' and doesn't actually need them, you can sleep the sleep of the job well done - and David Turpin and his cohorts deserve their share of lie-ins.

While the sheer quantity of Irish records available in any week now is more likely to bewilder than beguile, Turpin does plenty to make himself stand out - singer-songwriter forays into programming long ceased to inspire UFOs-over-the-GPO awe, but someone trying to make every track a planet in a bigger universe is reason enough to watch the skies.

Together with co-producer Stephen Shannon, Turpin makes sure that the electronics don't end up taking over and left in a corner with a hand-me-down acoustic he'd still cut it. Maybe that's the next album.

In the meantime, you can mix up the happy and sad here; wonder if his drama would work better on a soundtrack or musical or see how often you can play the standout 'Dancing on My Grave' and still get the same pop buzz.

Harry Guerin

Tracklisting: White Lemonade - Dancing on My Grave - Fly Away (A Poison Tree) - Beyond the Stars - Pony Tears - Melody of the Plains - Nobody Knows - Patience - Like a Horse - Narcissus - The Convert's Song