Eugene McGuinness - Eugene McGuinness

The main concern with Eugene McGuinness' debut album is that it's hard to tell whether he's having a giggle. That's not to say there's only merit to be found in the darkest of musical corners, but his work has such an absolute sense of whimsy that it proves almost impossible to approach it seriously. Not So Academic’s comedic bar-room-brawl honky-tonk, Nightshift’s Dukes of Hazard rockabilly rush, and the all out silliness of Those old Black and White Movies Were True are the most asinine of offerings here, but even mildly redeeming tracks such as God in Space and album highlight Atlas don't sit sufficiently far from them to claw back any real acclaim. Kudos to McGuinness for retaining such focus, and for having produced an album shot-through with such brazen enthusiasm. But as a character, this album may well be the self-proclaimed joker who inspires you to walk in to oncoming traffic just to avoid him. [Paul Neeson]