8/10

There is something deeply intimate about the way Molly O’Mahony writes. It's messy, searching, contradictory, hopeful one moment and exhausted the next. And on her latest studio album 'Waiting On The World', the West Cork singer-songwriter delivers a record that carries the emotional bruises of recent years while still reaching stubbornly toward the possibility of tenderness.

Over these last few years, it feels as though Ireland’s independent folk landscape has increasingly gravitated toward grand statements and cinematic flourishes. But O’Mahony moves differently. Similar to the way Lisa O’Neill or early Laura Marling could transform intimate thoughts into something quietly devastating, she approaches songwriting here with remarkable emotional precision.

The title-track immediately establishes the emotional climate of the album. There’s warmth running through it, but also a lingering sense that something fragile sits just beneath the surface. Everyday details drift alongside surreal imagery, creating the feeling of two people trying to preserve intimacy while the wider world grows increasingly unstable around them.

But what makes this album so compelling is how naturally it balances personal storytelling with larger societal anxieties. 'Cold Water' captures emotional division with an almost painful clarity, while 'Strange Times' expands into something broader and more theatrical, reflecting the overwhelming noise of modern existence without ever losing its emotional centre.

Yet for all its unease, the album consistently returns to compassion. 'Cherish You' is especially beautiful in that regard, exploring the less glamorous realities of love with honesty and care rather than romantic idealism. Likewise, 'Blue-Eyed Girl' transforms a small childhood moment into something quietly profound about trust, innocence, and emotional resilience.

Musically, Molly O’Mahony continues to evolve far beyond traditional folk expectations. The arrangements throughout feel truly expansive, allowing her voice to remain the emotional anchor even as the songs swell into richer, more textured territory. There are moments that feel almost cinematic in scale, yet the album never loses its sense of intimacy.

And by the closing stretch of 'Starlight & Shadow', 'Waiting On The World' feels like the sound of someone choosing hope despite having every reason not to. And it's here that Molly O’Mahony finds the softness within difficult times we all share.