When the creative road is devoid of any boundaries
THE name Ian ‘Mocha’ Moloney has been synonymous with the County Wexford music scene for the last 30 years.
Having fronted some of the finest bands to ever emerge from Wexford including Prime Suspect, Twilight Dreams, Rainsville and Cousin Bill, for the last decade or so he has been concentrating on his solo material.
Though he now calls Sweden home the proud Wexford man has just released a new fivetrack EP called ‘The Apt Recs’.
Recorded at his residence in Gothenburg, Sweden, it’s five original songs enhance the formidable reputation that Mocha already enjoys with regard to his songwriting talent.
It’s also his first release since the 2017 album, ‘Revenge of the Cover Band Singer’.
The first song, ‘Wishing on Satellites’ is a fantastic atmospheric number that begins with a slow, moody percussive beat accompanied by a dreamy keyboard pattern and equally spacey guitar riff.
In addition to being a great songwriter the one thing that Mocha always had in his arsenal of talent was his voice and on this track it shines.
There is an echo, reverb effect on the vocals that would on its own, perhaps, sound a little strange but it’s absolutely perfect on this track because it enhances the overall hippy trip vibe of the song.
While he points out that ‘everything that we make must fall apart’, and it’s fair to say there is a degree of melancholic concern in the lyrics, one gets the impression the listener is also being told that some things are better left to fate.
The second track, ‘If There’s No life, Then There’s No Love’, begins with a sombre piano motif, however, when the song kicks in it’s actually set to a subtle mid-tempo beat.
The use of distorted electric guitar to emphasis the nuances of the vocal lines is very effective.
Sometimes distorted guitars can be overdone and can become overpowering on certain tracks but the way Mocha uses the guitar here is fantastic.
Mocha’s overall style always sat somewhere between classic U2, the Cult and the Smiths, but he always stamps his own identity over everything he does and that is exemplified to perfection on this EP.
‘If There’s No Life, Then There’s No Love’, showcases the fact that as far as vocalists go he is one from the very top drawer.
Anyone familiar with Mocha’s career will be fully aware of just how good a vocalist he is in a live setting.
He can scream with the best of them but what is very impressive on this EP and in particular on tracks like this one is how he holds back on the power and instead utilises subtle restraint as the best means of conveying powerful messages.
The EP as a whole highlights the advances that have been made in terms of computer technology and proves that in the hands of the right person home recording studios can be just as good as some of the world’s most expensive commercial ones.
There is clarity to the mix that makes the listening experience all the more enjoyable.
‘Feeling Very Sorry For Myself’ is one of the most rocky songs on the EP and it takes the listener off on a completely different journey, sonically, than the preceding tracks.
It’s a moody, mid-tempo industrial blues song.
If Blade Runner had a blues soundtrack this song would be on the forefront.
It’s a track where Mocha allows himself some room to expand the vocals a little and stretch his singing muscles a bit and it’s wonderful to hear.
There is anger within the track but whether it’s borne from the person within the song actually feeling sorry for himself or from his situation is left to the listener to decide.
Top quality lyrics can be applied to different scenarios and that is the case here; no doubt individual listeners will connect with the song in their own respective ways.
‘The Road Will Burn Out’ begins in a manner that invokes an image of Tyla, from the Dogs D’Amour.
Solitary acoustic guitar provides initial accompaniment to the vocal lead-in.
The backing builds gradually and the subtle introduction of cello at a point where the vocal style also changes slightly is very effective.
Again, Mocha uses sparse distorted guitar to emphasise a vibe rather then create one and it’s brilliant.
‘The friends I’ve left behind, are forever in my mind’, sings Mocha on what is one of the stand-out tracks on the EP.
‘They Don’t Think’ is a fantastic way to end the recording.
It has a lovely upbeat, funky rhythm and is without doubt the most commercial song on the recording.
‘The Apt Recs’ is now available through all regular steaming services and Mocha told this newspaper he is eager to get back to Wexford to perform the songs live. It will be a blast.