Cathal Coughlan is a rather remarkable talent. For almost forty years the Cork raised talent has carved out a particular space forhim in the musical scheme of things. First with Microdisney, then Fatima Mansions. Wordy, furiously and righteously political, and astonishingly erudite, he spits out scores of words a minute as if he swallowed a dictionary in his youth and hasn't quite coughed it all up yet.
Latest album Song of Co-Aklan, from earlier this year, is the latest exhibit for his talent, devotees would say genius. In many ways he belongs to the Irish literary tradition as much as its musical hertage. His phenomenal verbiage the natural heir to the likes of James Joyce, Flann O'Brien and Brendan Behan.
It's a really great listen, you may not understand the whole tale he's telling, but you should enjoy his telling of it. Still raging against the dying of the light to a skilled, baroque musical backdrop.
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