By Edua Guerra
It is with passion that Irish singer Karrie and guitarist Jimmy Smyth have delivered Home Thoughts, an album containing covers of songs that have enriched generations, from the likes of The Beatles and Elton John.
Entirely produced by Smyth, they have transformed these well-known songs into ethereal musical pieces that collide and perfectly blend with each other, resulting in a brilliant and very enjoyable album.
Take the first track, a cover of David Bowie’s ‘Life On Mars’ as the perfect example of musical warmness. Smyth’s performance of the acoustic guitar is dazzling, along with his voice joining that of Karrie’s, culminating in an effortlessly organic piece.
Karrie’s folk influences are undeniable across the album, but it is in the medley of ‘Yellow Brick Road – Rocketman’ that it truly shines.
A very pleasing moment of the album is during a cover of ‘Promises’ when Karrie and Smyth show their incredible collaboration as a duo. “We made a vow we’d always be friends/ How could we know that promises end?”, they sing as part of their retrospective in this Eric Clapton classic.
What makes Home Thoughts stand out however, is the fact that it has the ability to give new meaning and redefine these iconic songs.
Karrie and Jimmy Smyth make The Beach Boys ‘God Only Knows’ their own through the way it is performed, blurring the lines between cheerful and heart-breaking and turning it into an uplifting track filled with nostalgia.
A record that isn’t afraid to experiment, Karrie and Jimmy Smyth have managed to dive into these classics and emerge from them with a clear vision and a folk sound that is a joy to listen to.
