Shortlisted by Hot Press magazine’s “Big Break” competition in 2015, Belfast born Owen Denvir is not new to the NI music scene by any means. Previously a backing violist for the likes of Ciaran Lavery and Rams’ Pocket Radio, Denvir’s  live set utilises viola, guitar and piano to create an audio-visual spectacle that lucky audiences at the Edinburgh Fringe may already have witnessed.

Owen Denvir - Daydreamer Press ReleaseA crossover between both folk and pop, the Daydreamer EP has drawn influences from Bell X1 and Fionn Regan, and whilst the songs were written in Edinburgh, they were most definitely crafted by Belfast.

Leading track, Daydreamer introduces us to Denvir’s silky smooth voice; with just a hint of an accent, I’m instantly charmed by what I hear. With delicate guitar, velvety violin, simple lyrics and that quirky little laugh, this track is folk/pop goodness in its purest form. As Denvir soulfully sings ‘no no no no’ it’s almost impossible not to get lost in that voice. Daydreamer indeed.

Next up, Staring at the Sun carries on this dreamy theme. This track oozes tranquility, with more intense undertones that are only bolstered by Hannah McPhillimy‘s hauntingly soft vocals. The choice to feature McPhillimy in this track is inspired, her voice is the perfect accompaniment to Denvir’s alluring style, making this a song so stunning it almost hurts.

In contrast to the tracks before, Lonely is both sombre and mesmerising, with meandering vocals, fragile strings and a tender gracefulness that’s hard to achieve with so many instruments in the mix. Final track Coast of Spain has tinges of Patrick Gardiner’s Carcassonne in places; featuring brighter, more upbeat drums, some funky guitar picking and shimmering cymbals which build alongside the vocals to make this a super catchy song that sounds like the feeling of summer sun shining on your face.

Overall Daydreamer is a musical triumph; Denvir has kept things simple throughout the EP, letting both his voice and lyrics shine through. A story-teller at heart, the tracks are delivered with captivating humility and passion, with the accompanying instruments adding to, rather than taking away from the overall effect. Without a doubt this is one of my favourite musical releases of the year, and I can’t wait to see what else this rising star has in store.

Daydreamer is out now and you can listen on Google Play, iTunes, Bandcamp or Spotify. Follow Owen Denvir on Twitter, Facebook or his website for more great music.

Laura Caldwell

Author: Laura Caldwell

Hi, I'm Laura. I'm 30 years old and have a degree in Journalism with Photo-Imaging at the University of Ulster. I have an undying love for Belfast and all that it has to offer, an undying love for sleeping, Tegan and Sara, trashy tv shows, foreign snack-foods and being irresponsible with money. I also quite like origami, reading, jazz, hip-hop, dubstep, anything acoustic and Food Network TV. I've written for The Big List, Culture NI, Chatterbox and The Echo, as well as writing for BBC Across the Line.