Recently was I given the opportunity to review the new EP from Tom Hughes titled ‘Puddletown Suite No 3’ or ‘The Orphaned Choir’
They are three tracks on the new EP from the artist that are incredibly well produced by Eamonn Mulderrig who we are told also provided the recording mixing and mastering of the tracks for the EP.
Mayo musician Tommy Hughes has gathered some of the best Irish musicians together on Puddletown Suite No.3 that works so well, the EP is also known as The Orphaned Choir.
The first track ‘The Loneliest Whale in The World’ takes us on a journey that Declan O’Rourke and Leonard Cohen would be jealous of. They are moments on this track that have brought a tear to our eyes, for all the right reasons of course.
The EP was performed by members of three different Irish bands including Declan Askin of Coda, Eamonn Mulderrig and Fintan Hanley of Vickers Vimy and Mary Greene of Greenshine.
Speaking with Tommy he tells us that he wrote the songs with John Hoban as his spirit guide but he didn’t play on the EP as he figured it was time he took the training wheels off and did the work of finding and working with new musicians and new voices.
So far the result is a mix of 3 very different songs each in its own style. With praise from people who heard all or some of (including the legendary Donald Lunny) these songs has been really positive.
The second track from the EP ‘Flowers for Jesus’ has the charm of a Tom Waits track that is often reminiscent of Waits later work and Springsteen’s Ghost of Tom Joad.
The third track ‘Silver Zoo’ feels like a story of espionage that could very well work well in an Ian Fleming novel.
All in all Puddletown Suite No. 3 is an EP of many emotions that conjures up lots of different feelings.
We are looking forward to hearing a full album of songs in the very near future from the artist and if it is as good as the current EP we are all in for a real treat.
Check out the EP below now streaming on Spotify.
Finbar Hoban
