Irish songwriter Fionn Regan has taken a number of unpredictable pivots since 2006’s The End of History, most notably turning in a Dylan-gone-electric sophomore record as the follow-up to his hushed debut. (This demo of the era still holds up well as a testament to that direction.) Now he’s gone the opposite of electric: 1 microphone, 1 guitar, a 4-track, and the tunes themselves were all he had for LP4, The Bunkhouse Vol 1: Anchor. Getting “right down to the brass tacks,” Regan dusted off an old demo recorder and put songs to tape quicker than on previous efforts. “I think of the original spirit and joy that you hear when you listen to someone like The Stooges,” he told the Independent. “You have to pull the car over. The records that have that spirit and tend to be recorded very simply. When I keep things simple, it feels better.”
The record is out now in Ireland with a Stateside release forthcoming. For now, here are two previews from the analog set in the form of vinyl spinning in natural settings. “Salt and Cloves” is above and “Clara to Calary” is below: