Albums to watch

The Shadow Of An Empire

Fionn Regan

The Shadow Of An Empire

Second album of electric folk from Mercury-nominated Irish singer-songwriter

ADM rating[?]

7.0

Label
Heavenly
UK Release date
08/02/2010
  1. 8.0 |   Q

    Print edition only

  2. 8.0 |   Mojo

    Print edition only

  3. 8.0 |   Uncut

    Print edition only

  4. 8.0 |   musicOMH

    Regan somehow manages to keep his head, continuing to write well developed melodies and striking lyrics. He remains a formidable wordsmith
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  5. 8.0 |   State

    Musically adept and with something genuine and affecting to say, Fionn Regan is growing up in public and for that we should all be thankful
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  6. 8.0 |   The Irish Times

    An unexpectedly strong effort that gets better with every spin
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  7. 8.0 |   The Guardian

    Words and images tumble out – we infer that he's a fool for love, but a cynical one – and by the end, you're thoroughly dazzled
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  8. 8.0 |   Daily Telegraph

    ...a unique, observational and genuinely beat-poetic lyrical vocabulary. Terrific stuff
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  9. 8.0 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    He hasn’t lost the literate, lyrical base to his songs, but he does turn the volume and the turbulence up, delivering a solid rock record that features some quieter moments, as opposed to his rather hushed debut that only got loud on occasion
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  10. 8.0 |   Independent on Sunday

    Angry, funny, relevant and summed up in one line, "You curse the darkness/ And I'll strike a match"
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  11. 7.0 |   The Observer

    Print edition only

  12. 7.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    A pretty impressive collection where the quality of the tunes never really falters, but where musically/lyrically/stylistically the highlights are the exception rather than the rule
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  13. 7.0 |   The Fly

    Fionn Regan’s sound has jumped from a whisper to a shout. His style now resembles Ben Kweller at his most outspoken or Ryan Adams at his most confrontational
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  14. 7.0 |   Clash

    It’s a fully realised, sprightly rocking album that proves that sometimes musicians are best left alone to do what they do best . An uplifting, flawless follow-up
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  15. 6.0 |   The Sunday Times

    On the slower, simpler songs, such as Violent Demeanour, he escapes his influences and his own talent shines
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  16. 6.0 |   NME

    Print edition only

  17. 6.0 |   The Digital Fix

    Musically, the album suffers from a multitude of comparisons and Regan seems to still be struggling to find a sound that is very much his own
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  18. 6.0 |   The Independent

    It's not the stone classic some have suggested, but it's impressive enough to arouse anticipation for Regan's next outing, which at this rate should be his Blood On The Tracks
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  19. 6.0 |   The Times

    ...the phlegm-rattling zeal with which a gone-electric Regan tackles Protection Racket is startling
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  20. 3.5 |   Bowlegs

    Easy listening personified, hitting all the right melancholic buttons with a heavy gloss finish
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