Photo reproduced with kind permission by Donal Moloney Photography
Pine the Pilcrow - Only Ghosts
Info: I start with a cliché, but it really is hard to believe it's been almost two years since we reviewed Dublin contemporary folk act Pine the Pilcrow's debut self-titled EP which went straight into pretty much every music website, blog and radio station's 'best of' end of year lists. In the interim the band released the beautiful 'Dahlia' single last May, the wait as we approach their sophomore EP release on the 30th March has been worth it.
Yesterday the band shared the video for the EP's single of the same name, 'Only Ghosts', directed and shot by Donal Moloney and his team, in where I presume is a house on Henrietta Street on Dublin's northside, the oldest Georgian street in the capital. It's a fitting setting for the single, once the domain of the aristocracy, the street fell into disrepair in the 18th and 19th centuries and became a cluster of over-crowded tenements inhabited by Dublin's poorest, with 835 people dwelling in just 15 houses.
With 'Only Ghosts' Pine the Pilcrow establish themselves, in my opinion, as the most accomplished modern folk act in the country. Their musicianship, delivery of feeling, and quality of song-writing is at the top level. From the first ghostly warble from singer Hannah Ryan, to the sheer delicateness of the piano and cello, where it feels like the bow is hesitant and almost afraid to bother the strings, you are sucked down the whirlpool willingly. The scars of the interior of the building connect with the lyrics, and visually a great job is done of firmly placing us in the past, there is no hint of the modern day in the video, even the shot of the outside world through the window just throws up another Georgian house.
We probably won't see a pairing of video and music so well suited for the remainder of 2018, a gorgeous ode to the maligned ghosts of one of Dublin's most beautiful streets.
Pine the Pilcrow are currently on tour, catch them live at the below venues:
MAR 13 - RUBY SESSIONS, DOYLES, DUBLIN
MAR 16 - OPEN DOOR SESSIONS, BALLIEBOROUGH, CAVAN
MAR 18 - LEVI'S, BALLYDEHOB, CORK
MAY 10 - IONTAS THEATRE, CASTLEBLAYNEY, MONAGHAN
MAY 18 - THE FOLK N SOUP CLUB, TIPPERARY
JULY 11 - GHOSTLIGHT SESSIONS, EARAGAIL ARTS FESTIVAL, BALLYBOFEY
Like / Listen & Follow:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PineThePilcrow
Bandcamp: https://pinethepilcrow.bandcamp.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pinethepilcrow
