Marc O'Reilly
Singer songwriter thrills the Bicycle Shop
With two albums down and the kind of performance count that many a seasoned musician would covet, it seems a touch bizarre that Marc O’Reilly doesn’t enjoy the level of renown that he surely warrants. Nevertheless the Irish singer treks onward, piling himself and his band into a Citroen van and eating up the miles between towns across the UK until they land here in front of a modest but warm Norwich gathering.
O’Reilly’s range of material is wonderful; his acoustic folk melodies feel hushed, intricate, and authentic. But then come the injections of rock and roll sensibilities, piling layer upon frenetic layer to build towers of racing noise that testify to the power of well-crafted instrumental focus and lyrical moderation. It’s a quality set and there’s not a second that feels done by numbers. O’Reilly jokes that his band mates call Reach Out his Status Quo song, and Lighthouse is in the vein of what Ben Howard has been pushing through the mainstream for the last few years (although Marc hasn’t been flinging naughty words at audiences...) but each track is distinct and full of charm. The crowning jewel is the simple joy of its delivery. All four chaps play with character and a radiant love of what they do, bringing depth to the quietest of moments and infectious energy to the most raucous. And quite frankly some of the guitar work borders on the ridiculous - check out the rampant Tell Old Joe if you need any proof of that. It’s a treat.
