Paddy Casey

Paddy Casey was discovered busking in London, so right from the get-go, expect that this Irishman's songs are acoustic guitar-centered. Impassioned vocals lead the charge on songs that are wishful, hungry and haunting, while a staggering starkness seeps through -- even on songs given the "big rock sound" production treatment (a la the Waterboys' A Pagan Place). Songs adorned with tin whistles and fiddles practically burst with Celtic pride, while others, dressed up in drum beats and samples, reflect Casey's love for the artistry of complex music-making as exemplified by artists such as Prince. A thoroughly engaging combination of influences are married seamlessly in Casey's work.