Record Review // Ronan Conroy "The Moment Is Gone"

$20 //
https://ronanconroy.bandcamp.com/album/the-moment-is-gone //

Since last checking in with Ronan Conroy (following his first two albums) he has released a single called "Fairytale of New York", an album called "not a part of anything" and most recently an EP in 2017 called "Blood Dread".    That would make "The Moment Is Gone" the fourth full length album by Ronan Conroy but the first to be released as a record.  I do hope, though, that this somehow leads to a release on vinyl for "Discontent" and "The Game" one day.

What begins with pianos has dark acoustics and that deep voice.  For various reasons, it reminds me quite a bit of the band Live, which I do so enjoy.   After a few listens, I begin to find myself singing along with "Burn The Cane", which could be the "lead single" of the album, if you're into such things.    "Cordite" has a killer guitar solo and "You're So Cruel" reminds me a bit of Duncan Shiek. 

"Is it you or me who brings the crazy? But I'm crazy for you anyway"   I think in situations like these, even if neither is willing to admit it, they both seem to bring a little bit of the crazy.   I know I bring a little bit of it and I also seem to really, really, REALLY attract it.

"Who Do You Think You're Kidding?" is like Live covering Johnny Cash whereas "GuiltChild feels more like a straight up Johnny Cash song, if he were still writing songs in 2019.   It also gets a little scary with the "wake up" whispers.    "Anger, My Love" is into that "Mental Jewelry" era here while "Evening Comes" has more of that sad country song thing going on.

"My life is some kind of meaningless joke" is an idea I can feel all too connected with, partly because I feel like you have to laugh to keep from crying and partly because it's that whole of the difference between comedy and tragedy being timing.    There is a classic rock feel at times on this album and "Psalm #40" seems to be just that.

Since I began listening to the music of Ronan Conroy, I feel like it's been just such a pleasure to watch how this music has not only grown but evolved.   It's not a matter of "This is what I can do and now I will do it a hundred times over", but every album feels better than the one before it and at the same time they also become much more complex.   Even if you've never heard Ronan Conroy before (and you really should have by now) do yourself the favor of listening to this record.