7/10

Cork’s own Eoin Shannon steps forward with 'Highs & Lows', his sweeping sophomore LP that draws from the deep wells of soul, blues, and spiritual music. The record is a mosaic of struggle, faith, and longing, delivered with Shannon’s warm yet weathered voice at its centre. There’s an old-world quality to his phrasing that makes each track feel like a parable etched into sound.

Shannon’s strength lies in his ability to weave personal revelations into songs that feel timeless. On 'The Closer You’re To God', his voice rises and falls like a sermon delivered from the edge of doubt, while Tom Savage’s production creates a backdrop that balances restraint with gravitas. Elsewhere, 'Happiness Has Come to Town' pairs Malte Hortsmann’s piano with Artem Litovchenko’s cello, building a fragile beauty that’s made whole by Gaby Duboisjoli’s soaring harmonies. These collaborations enrich Shannon’s words without ever overshadowing them.

What makes 'Highs & Lows' compelling is its balance of the intimate and the grand. Tracks like 'Sad Sad Little Man' and 'Demon Lady' ground the record in blues tradition, while “Pull the Plug/Pull the Curtain” introduces a bolder, almost theatrical dimension. Even when the production leans lush, Shannon’s delivery keeps the record tethered to honesty rather than spectacle.

There’s a palpable sense of spiritual searching running through the album. Shannon presents faith as a path lined with shadows, moments where closeness to the divine seems to invite greater trials. It’s this tension, between grace and affliction, that gives the record its emotional weight.

'Highs & Lows' is a fitting reflection of Eoin Shannon’s approach: embracing joy, despair, and every jagged step in between. With his painter’s eye for imagery and a voice built to carry confession, he delivers a record that lingers long after the final note. It’s a striking continuation from an artist unafraid to confront life’s contradictions head-on.