Declan O’Rourke is long overdue for a stateside breakthrough. The Dublin-based singer-songwriter has three Irish top 10 albums under his belt and a way with words and strings that’s earned him comparisons to Rufus Wainwright and Glen Hansard, plus staggeringly high praise from Paul Weller, who said his “Galileo” is “possibly the greatest song written in the last 30 years.” The album that delivered that rare gem is Mag Pai Zai (it will appear as a live version, the original is from O’Rourke’s Since Kyabram), and it will finally see a U.S. release on September 24 (digital) and October 8 (physical) via Rimecoat/Missing Piece.
In honor of the occasion, we’re sharing “Slieve Bloom,” a busy little heartfelt strummer inspired by Björk and featuring an attention to sylvan beauty that befits the reference. (“Slieve” is Gaelic for “mountain,” by the way). The contemplative song is rich with details and powered by slow-moving strings sawing away against a frenetic drumbeat. It’s beautiful stuff from O’Rourke, who wrote Mag Pai Zai after relocating from his native republic’s capital to the picturesque Atlantic coast.
