SilencesWe live in a very noisy, cluttered world. With so many distractions consantly battling for consideration and accolade, sometimes, strangely enough, it’s the quiet ones who emerge the winners. ‘Nevernames’, the debut EP from Silences, is a case in point. The three tracks offered up here by 23-year-old Armagh native Conchúr White and his ensemble of Christopher Harbinson, Breándan White, Michael Keyes and Johnathon Downing are a lesson in understated inventiveness. They don’t so much battle for your attention as quickly charm it into willing surrender.

Anchored by acoustic guitars, keys and velvety harmonies, the EP testifies to the fact that having genuine talent and the courage not to overcomplicate things can be just as – if not more – powerful than the showy antics some acts tend to rely on. A gentle affair, there’s a warmth and a sincerity behind the songs that’s both endearing and engaging at the same time.

None of the tracks demonstrate this more conclusively than Emma, a soft and gorgeous plea to love. Conchúr’s effortless vocals take centre-stage, carousing with rich, easy harmonies, as guitars and a piano trickle delicately away behind. It’s so subtle and yet so compelling; the nuances of the music are matched only by the depth of the lyrics, creating a simultaneously stirring and sobering experience.

Santa Cruz is another low-key, unhurried exercise in restraint. The guitars, keys and harmonies come together again, lifted by steady, but never overbearing drums, and giving everything the space it needs to make its mark. Vancouver Aches boasts the strongest rhythm and probably the most defined melody of the lot, without straying too far from the blueprint set out in what went before. At the same time, it feels the most “done”, losing a little of the lure held by the others for that.

What makes this EP so absorbing is its lack of pretension or needless embellishment. It’s all very natural and heartfelt, making it almost impossible not to feel involved with the song and the singer in some way. It’s refreshing to find music that has that strength of character; if they continue on along this path, the sound of Silences will be heard for a long time yet.