Anglo-Irish musician Luke Concannon has released his new album Midnight Bloom. Concannon is one half of folk hip-hop due Nizlopi, alongside double-bassist John Parker, who had a number 1 hit in 2005 with the memorable JCB Song and his solo venture is proving just as vibrant.
The album opens with Shine, a groovy and soulful ode to letting go and letting your creativity flow without the restrictions and boundaries you impose on yourself, summed up simply in the lyrics: “Working too hard for too long, now I need to start singing my songs.” We’re introduced to Concannon’s vocal which is smooth, youthful and refined and pairs beautifully with the funky brass accompaniment. There’s a nod towards a gospel sound too with the soaring female harmonies that add further depth and warmth to the track.
Stick Together oozes drama right from the first beat. It comes across like a war cry with the pounding beat akin to a march, the gritty, urban edge and Concannon’s harsher rap style of lyricism. The subject matter is heavy and focusses on real-world big issues such as fascism, genocide and starving children, throwing light on the matters that need to be brought to the forefront of people’s minds. The chorus of “We could get so much higher, higher, higher if we just stick together and stay together” suggests unity and how working together is the key to making progress on solving the problematic matters in the world.
Brother is another thought-provoking track that again focusses on global issues, this time the war in Ukraine. The track was “written from the perspective of a Ukrainian and Russian soldier on either side of the war. It recognises the madness of the whole thing, war leading to mass murder of people who are often our closest neighbours.” The juxtaposition of the stripped back verses with just the powerful and aggressive beat and rap-style vs the harmonious chorus is like a clash of two opposing elements, just like the war itself.
The tempo is taken down a notch on Dance With You which opens with gentle guitar strums and allows Concannon’s vocal to really take centre stage. An RnB edge really peps up proceedings and this is an addictive mellow love song that’s a real stand out on the album.
The gentle, downtempo theme continues with A Woman Is Sacred where a female vocalist shines as she beautifully sings about violations that can happen to women in the music industry. The lyrics are incredibly considered and were inspired by meeting two women at a song writing retreat and hearing about the unrealistic expectations placed on them in the music industry. “Please don’t touch my side as you walk by. For you its innocent, for me I fear for my life” are some of the lyrics that really resonate and stay with you long after the track has come to an end.
As its name suggests, Namaste, is a chilled and airy ode where gentle guitar plucks and silky harmonies accompany Concannon’s gravelly vocal. The chorus of “I want you to namaste away from me” suggests the need to move on from a relationship but in as amicable a way as possible when love is still there.
On Romy, Concannon’s vocal sounds reminiscent of Ed Sheeran’s which is interesting when you consider that Sheeran once interned for Nizlopi. The track is another example of Concannon displaying his vocal dexterity where he switches effortlessly between fast-paced rapping and soaring high notes. The pan pipes add a mystical edge to the track which works well with the RnB inflection.
Midnight Bloom is brought to a close with the slinky and groovy What Would You Change. A song about hope that builds from a minimal guitar accompaniment to incorporating gentle keys and drama from the brass. The positivity in the track shines through when Concannon sings “Your song is in my head. You are my daily bread. What would you change if you love somebody?” We head to a crescendo as electronic elements and gospel-esque harmonies are thrown in, creating a heady and vibrant ending to a heavily topical and relevant album.
When speaking of Midnight Bloom, Concannon said “I’m a recovering perfectionist. I’m learning to let go and realise that ‘good enough’ is a better way to approach our lives. We live in an area with a rich history of back-to-the-landers who lived on the edges of culture, and yet still managed to shake up the world through community, art, and politics.”
Midnight Bloom marks a triumphant return to recording for Luke Concannon who suffered with a long period of illness after embarking on a gruelling schedule promoting his previous album. The relentless tour schedule was such that Concannon suffered burn-out and spent the next three years working through poor health and fatigue before he could return to his love of song writing and reignite his creative spark.
Luke Concannon was brought up around music, remembering how he would fall asleep at Irish family parties to the sounds of guitars, singing and dancing. Concannon and Parker sold a million records as Nizlopi in their twenties and following the band’s split, and inspired by a hitch-hiking trip to Palestine, Luke wrote his first solo album Give It All. In 2022, follow up album Ecstatic Bird in the Burning was released and debuted at number 12 in the folk charts, featuring single Doing Nothing which peaked at number 7.
Midnight Bloom is available to stream now. Find out more about Luke Concannon here and have a listen to Midnight Bloom below.