Declan de Barra Again

It's been a long time in music terms since I declared Declan de Barra as the new Damien Rice. It's now only a few days until he releases his second solo album, A Fire to Scare the Sun, after the cult success of Song of a Thousand Birds. Somehow, I've got my dirty hands on a digital copy, which I shan't reproduce here for legality's sake, even though I know Declan's stance on free music sharing, and, I can assure you, that I was wrong in my declaration. Declan's new album, unlike Damien Rice's second, 9, surpasses it's predecessor. I am the holder of a comforting thought - having uncovered a musical talent so superb that I scarcely feel I need to listen to anything else for a very long time. When the album is released later this month, I urge you to find a copy and bathe in the fluency and majesty of his voice. It's from a typical track entitled, Beautiful One, that I lamely reproduce the lyrics below, acknowledging that they lose the poignancy instilled through his voice. To stem that shortfall, I can merely refer you again to this live performance on Irish television of Throw Your Arms Around Me.

I've sailed across these seas
And I've lived our lives and dreams,
And I've done all the things we said we'd do,
My beautiful one.
The time has come,
Beautiful one,
I'm coming home to you.