Waxwings
Imagine the scene, a New York Jazz club, late at night, a somewhat smokey room and you have an old fashioned cocktail in your hand… Well, Waxwings by Jimmy’s Cousin is the perfect soundtrack to accompany you that evening.
Joining Jimmy’s cousin is a whole host of incredible musicians, who all work together to bring forth a beautiful, personal set of songs. Featuring James Delaney on piano, Paul Moore on bass duties, Des Lacey on drums, Michael Buckley on brass, plus a whole host of others. Special mention must go to Dave Keary, who as well as playing guitars on the album also produced it. Dave brings a deep vein of musical pedigree to the arrangement and realisation of the songs of Jimmy’s’ Cousin
The album overall is a positive look on a disastrous subject. It is about accepting the risks associated with truly loving someone and the inevitability of loss. It is about flying into the darkness and touching the face of grief. However, despite this fact, even the saddest songs have an acceptance and an optimism at their heart which rescues them from being too maudlin and points the way forward.
The stand out song for me is ‘I’ll Never Love Again’, a song that could easily stand up against Elton John’s Benny and the Jets or Billy Joel’s New York state of mind. A piano led song, about hopes and dreams, but ultimately it’s a song about accepting what you’ve got and running with it. It’s a powerful melody with a punchy chorus. How can such a miserable concept, never being in love again, be made to sound so positive? I don’t know, but its something Jimmys Cousin does time and time again.
Waxwings is described as the quintessential break up album. But, instead of leaving you forlorn and missing what you no longer have, it truly lifts your spirits and fills you with positivity. Always looking at the brighter, optimistic side of life, it really does brighten your day.
