Kate Walsh - Tim's House

Fans of Gemma Hayes will rejoice that there is now another wispy singer-songwriter for them to curl up in bed and cry along to - and there is no denying the similarities between the two. Apart from obviously sharing quintessentially Irish names, they also share the same sweet mid-Atlantic tinged vocal delivery, along with a capacity for lyrical directness: "Don't go pissing on my fire," warns Ms Walsh on the unambiguously titled Don't Break My Heart. Unfortunately Kate also shares with Gemma a penchant for writing songs that wind and meander on a road to nowhere in particular; the whiny and skeletal sounding Bury My Head being a case in point, and there is a considerable dip into lyrical blandness on the closing Fireworks, where the chorus comprises of the listener being told that it is "the fifth of November" over and over again. Some perky accordion playing on French Song adds a bit of variety to proceedings however, and the lilting hook on Talk of the Town certainly leaves a mark on your mind. So-so. [Barry Jackson]