Inni-K - The King has Two Horse's Ears (2015)

If the title gives us a clue about anything about the music of Inni-K beyond specifics, it’s that Eithne Ní Chatháin’s debut album is rooted in the traditional and the mythic. The name, which informs the lyrics of the title track on the record, comes from an Irish legend and it feels fitting because the album wears folk influences in its structures, as if also passed along through generations too.

Ní Chatháin takes those touchpoints and imbues them with a pure pop coating. On ‘Find Your Beat’, the lyrics as Gaeilge place the song firmly of this land but the song’s bright ukulele instrumentation could fit right in with a lot of the melodious folk/pop heard these days. It’s accessible but comes from its own place. The same could be said for a lot of the album, which pushes and pull between folk and big pop melodies, taking advantage of Seán Mac Erlaine on woodwind (listen to his wonderful recent album) and Kevin Murphy on cello.

TRACKLIST

01. Flower Relay
02. Find your Beat
03. DNA
04. Gentle Star
05. Player Queen
06. Love Song
07. Come with Me
08. Ar Gor
09. Sweet Geranium
10. Hold Tight
11. Night Sky
12. The King has Two Horse's Ears