Lisa Hannigan // Passenger

Lisa Hannigan’s journey in music began with singing and touring alongside Damien Rice, who she worked closely with for more than seven years. Now, in 2011, Hannigan returns with a slightly more daring and markedly more confident sophomore album, ‘Passenger’. Whereas Hannigan’s Mercury-nominated debut felt like a playful dabble of an album – as if she had decided it might be fun to put together a record while she had some spare time – ‘Passenger’ feels like an altogether more cathartic album, exploring the craft of songwriting in a way that feels decidedly different from previous Lisa Hannigan releases. Earthy lyrical imagery explores the themes of travel and growth that run central to the album, exploring the human condition just as much as the circumstances backdrops of each song’s story. Despite the development between albums, there are still perceptible nods to debut ‘Sea Sew’, however, such as the inclusion of sea-oriented tune ‘A Sail’ and the light-hearted, poppy feel of ‘What’ll I Do’, which could sit just as easily on Hannigan’s debut as on ‘Passenger’. The album could easily see a second Mercury nomination for Hannigan, and will certainly see her step out from beneath Damien Rice’s shadow in full.

8/10 Lauren Razavi