Albums

With the wonderful guitar accompaniment of Bruce Knapp I sing the story of my Irish forbears when they came to London in 1844. As the O'Brien and O'Neill families move from Ireland, the need to integrate sees them Drop the O'.  Little Cathy asks the key question in Wherever the Moon Is, before the families find a roof over their heads in London's notorious "Little Ireland", in Rookery Rock.  Then when Cathy Met Charlie they start a family, but life is precarious. Charlie gets a job and sings The Costermonger's Song.  Meanwhile the Irish workforce is building the new London, in the Building Boomers.  When the going gets tougher Cathy and Charlie have to Make It Worth It.  Their son Charlie celebrates when he gets a job in Fleet Street as a compositor: Hold the Front Page!.  Charlie marries Louisa Banan as his sister Ellen marries Louisa's brother in At the Double.  Cathy in her later years invites you to Come Into the Garden as she reflects from their new home in Wood Green, before the closing Old Times, Modern Times reminds us of the never ending story of migration. 

[[LIST:songs:79]]

I’ve mixed up the light and darker sides of this album and hope you enjoy them all!

I'm an economist and a futurist turned singer-songwriter but "Don't believe the crystal ball” doesn’t mean I’m turning my back on a life of forecasting: the point is it is us who make the future. The opening track "Heaven for Broken Dreams" reminds us that you don't have to come in first to succeed.  "In the Cool of the Night" is a pure unadulterated love song. After the title track, "All of Us May Be Wrong" calls for tolerance about beliefs and a little humility about what we think we know in our search for the truth.  “Monte or Bust” is just fun storytelling, written a few years ago now. "Trees Are Blue" is fun with a message about change and how we treat our world. "Darkness Took the Light" is dark but with light at the end of the tunnel. "Sittin' on the Wall", one of the earliest songs I wrote - the video is a children’s favourite. "On Your Way" is a love duet too, sung with the wonderful Christine Axelle, even it may not seem to end that way. "In the Shadow" is filled with the jazz genius of the band – Bruce Knapp, Richard Sadler, Tony Shepherd and wonderful arrangements by Matt Knapp.  It is a privilege to make music with them - and thanks to Laura for her trombone and Callie Howard for her stardust backing vocals.

Sense in our brains on saving the world, Tall windows, a lament for unattained love, Apple spies, a lively dig at surveillance and privacy, The firelight burns, waiting for the loved-one to return, Grey November day, my favourite month, Confessions by Moonlight, interpreting Beethoven's masterpiece, 26+1, a fun wooing song, Dreaming with you, on peace and harmony, On the move, on migration, and finally, the put-down song It's over.

Musical marriage, vive les differences, Billion souls, can we beat poverty, It’s a dangerous world, watch out!, Clocks stopped, no happy ending, Hamlet and Macbeth, the greats rue their fate, Overtime, a love duet, Anguneau sunset, a plea for tolerance, Listenin’ to you whistlin’, the power of love, I’ll be tappin’, on the ageing mind, Storyteller storyteller, escape into fantasy.

Take it as it comes, keep cool, reflect and relax, Audition blues, you know what you’re worth, Silvery moon, for that romantic getaway, She said yes!, for that first love, Rollercoaster, love moves in mysterious ways, Choice (would be a fine thing), on consumer excess, Heroes or zeroes, the powerful fall from grace, Cloud on the horizon, on climate change, You can’t sit out the dance, no opting out, Inspiration inspiration, so where does it all come from?, No truth no lies, take your opportunities, If you say you cannot see my shadow, a love duet, Sleep baby of mine, the lullaby, Be like a bird, freedom and love.