Inner City Dogs

Niall O’Shea

Inner City Dogs

Angela Macari O’Looney

Niall O’Shea’s debut album Inner City Dogs, launched in September 2010 is a varied collection of songs, written from his experiences travelling around the world. Ten enjoyable tracks combine an interesting cross section of genres and influences. Niall’s amazing guitar technique whether on electric or acoustic is evidence of his love for the greats such as Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, U2 and many more. It’s a memorable combination of Classic rock and Bluesy type numbers that take you on a sweet journey, with Niall and his band.

Dogs

Fast moving, with a catchy guitar riff intro and thumping drumbeat, this song involves lots of chops and changes, with some exceptional guitar throughout and an excellent baseline. Niall reaches falsetto notes, his vocals quite interesting and his range impressive.

Chrissy

This is a favourite of mine. It always reminds me of 80s bands like The Jam, the chorus really cheerful, with a sing-along quality and chord combinations delightful. Trumpet lifts the mood right up. Guitar is simply perfect here too, particularly the lead into the chorus which totally makes the number in my opinion. I also love the chord riff just before the slow down for the middle eight. Harmony is delicious too in this upbeat melodic song, which ends on a wonderful jazz chord!

You get so many surprises with each number on this album. An elaborate acoustic guitar intro takes you into Red Horizon, with bass and percussion dramatic and a captivating melody line. Trumpet features big time here, played by Stefano Muscovic. Those riffs blasted out between each line add a wonderful explosion of sound, with both trumpet and Niall’s guitar blending beautifully. What a fabulous song and an outstanding arrangement!

Van Morrison comes to mind when I hear the intro to Too Long with its happy tempo, sweet chord combinations and folksy feel. Fiddle adds a touch of bohemian gypsy fun and is played by Cian Loughnane. A song for dancing around to, the melody in the chorus here is extremely memorable.

On Better Days which is one of the slower tracks, Niall has a little help from Jennie Place Ryan who sings harmony in the chorus. This begins as an acoustic song, electric guitar gradually coming in later on. Soulful and easy going, it’s another top quality number from Niall, who seems to have endless talent as an instrumentalist. Even the slower songs are very intricate, with loads going on throughout.

Lead solos on electric guitar and also riveting trumpet are key features in No Water Flows. This fast rolling number has a contemporary feel to it which I really like. It sounds like musicians having a really good time blending their instruments and putting yet another embellishment onto the song as it develops, speeding up then slowing down again. This makes the track an exhilarating experience. Niall’s slightly gritty vocals lean towards Cold Play’s Chris Martin’s tone, but he has this superb way of creating variation with his voice as if it’s an instrument in itself.

If creating an impact on his listener is Niall’s motive, he definitely achieves this in this great debut album. Of the remaining songs it’s hard to pick one favourite. Each is very special.

Violin is spectacular on Alleyways, which is a delightful piece, with lots of lovely harmony filtered into the chorus.

Warm Under the Sun is an unexpected injection of heavy rock, with grunged up guitars and lots of distortion involved. It has a Wow effect, with a chorus that has a harmonic refrain, a scorching lead solo, thumping drums and a busy baseline. This is Old Grey Whistle test type stuff, which would be a trip down memory lane for aged rock connoisseurs.

A love song All I have is a three four ballad, with descriptive lyrics, piercingly sweet violin and acoustic chords that would melt any heart. Your smile as sweet as a tangerine/ the taste of your warm soft lips brings me to my knees.This is only one example of the poetic lyrics in this song.

Sun Bleached Cans has an exotic rhythm, trickling guitar riffs and imaginative hooks throughout. Melody line is delicious too and Niall sounds like he thoroughly enjoys doing this number. Drums and percussion create a Latino beat, with the trumpet doing a Mexican riff that’s utterly beautiful. I picture a couple doing a seductive dance on a beach in the moonlight. A great escape from the winter blues, it’s a great choice for the finale to an entertaining show!

Other performers on Inner City Dogs include Nicole Hudson-Strings, Johnny Boyle Jnr.-Drums/Percussion, Q (Colm Quearney)-Bass/Harmonium/Organ/Piano/Handclaps.

The album was written over a period of years, with help on the production end of things coming from Q.
The cover art is in Black and White and depicts the man himself sitting on a tiled sidewalk outside a high rise block of flats, with a standard lamp and a plant strategically placed to give the impression that this may as well be his sitting room. Quirky! Like a hint at what you can expect inside this CD, with its unexpected twists and turns.