Early DAVID HOPKINS' 'Amber & Green' review

4 out of 5 stars in the Irish Times

DAVID HOPKINS
Amber and Green Reekus Records ****

Like amber in the traffic light sequence, David Hopkins may urge caution where fools rush in, yet musically the one-time Lir keyboardist sounds anything but restrained. While these songs move with a trickling fatalism, watching perfectly unsurprised as relationships slide inexorably towards heartbreak (Somebody's Gonna Leave Somebody is a typical title), Hopkins's impressive sound is similarly wary of exclusive commitment. Through various styles, from country licks to jazzy turns and electronic textures, even his voice won't be tied down: a clenched sigh over the folk rock of You're Some Kind of Christian, a drifting Damien Rice on the unhurried title track, an accusatory Dylan in You've Got to Suffer. Often playing every instrument, Hopkins keeps the shape of his songs unpredictable yet his twists never become distracting, making Amber and Green both reassuringly familiar and consistently surprising. www.davidhopkinsmusic.com Peter Crawley