Lofty Reviews: Cronin – The First Kiss of Love

Cronin have released their new album “First Kiss of Love” Lofty reviews it here

The debut album from Mullingar band Cronin has been long in the offing but is very much worth the wait. Funny enough given the gestation of the album and the fact that the majority of tracks on this album have featured on various EPs and singles over recent years one could be forgiven for thinking that familiarity would slightly spoil enjoyment of Cronin’s first long player, but that’s far from the case.

In fact it’s a credit to the band and their production team that this collection of songs work so well when packaged together. There is a beautiful lush retro feeling to “The First Kiss of Love” something akin to the first Last Shadow Puppets album (before they lost the run of themselves).

However its not just a Scott Walker type aesthetic that is evoked by Cronin but also some classic 80’s indie vibes especially on tracks like the album’s title track, “She Saves” and on their perfect rendition of The Wedding Present’s “Octopussy” (one of three quality cover versions that are featured).

There are some very nice guest contributions dotted through proceedings from Helen Turner on “See This Man”, former JJ72 singer Mark Greaney on “Something’s Got a Hold of My Heart” and the legendary BP Fallon on “Bury Me By Your Side”. But it is the vocal talent of front-man Johnny Cronin who is the excellent constant throughout, backed by a band that exert a confident swagger across the 14 tracks. There’s even a delightful electronic ‘Interlude’ that lasts less than a minute – could this be a pointer to a new direction for the follow up album (one can only hope !!).

It’s hard to pick favourite tracks as each listening reveals a different delight, but “In Loneliness Lives Love” and “Nelson Riddle” are two of the real highlights on an album that delivers plenty of them.

More than three years in the making Cronin have with “The First Kiss of Love” produced an album packed with dramatically ambitious and very satisfying music that they should be rightly proud of.

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