Irish Folk singer Sean Mathews set a high bar with his debut album, 'Dreaming Is Allowed' back in 2019, and with his latest release 'Welcome to Ballsgrove', he definitely hasn't fallen victim to the difficult second album curse.
Back in 2019 Mathews debut quickly established his credentials and a songwriter and musician of note. His songs married a mix of socialism and Irish mythology to great effect and on ‘Welcome to Ballsgrove’ he goes back to his socialist roots and the history of his family to explore the effects of internal migration created when the Ballsgrove housing estate was built to accommodate the ever expanding population of the Irish town of Drogheda.
Mathews and his family have long since moved on from Ballsgrove, but he wrote the songs on the album from the point of view of someone who never left covering the early excitement an inspirations of getting a nice home, raising families and his own childhood memories.
He conjures up vivid imagery in the opening track, ‘Welcome to Ballsgrove’. The expectation within urban communities to own property and the lack of housing in the system is explored in ‘Our Jack’.
There’s an acute of sense of community and innocence around ‘The Hope that Hope Will Give’. A beautiful song that conjures up images of friendly aspirational neighbours and unlocked doors in the development, all symbols of an era long gone. while ‘Cradle of Love’ hints at missed opportunities and the passing of time. Closing out the album with a nod to his debut album with ‘The Commuter’s Song part two’.
There is a remarkable maturity in Mathew’s songs and it definitely transcends his time on this planet. His unique brand of urban folk is grounded in realism that the listener can relate to on this album, as his tales weave cleverly blend the landscape and people within, detailing their lives, loves, hopes and loss.
‘Welcome to Ballsgrove’ is another exceptional release by a songwriter who’s gifted with a unique connection to his subject matter.