Dublin-based Jack Ryan’s debut EP ‘Strong’ embodies everything the term ‘short ‘n’ sweet’ represents. In only four songs, his tone of voice, lyrics and in particular the beautiful guitar wins over the listener almost instantly.

With the single Strong opening the EP of the same name to a great start,  it’s safe to say that if the rest of the EP follows to the same standard, it will not disappoint. However, even though it is the chosen single, the other songs showcase his talents slightly more, and the standard simply gets higher. In particular, Fingertips which is a stand out song that is lyrically sweet and has impressive guitar, which just makes the listener want to hear more.  His powerful voice is something that is particularly enjoyable throughout the EP.

There is not much negative to say about ‘Strong’, perhaps it is slightly unremarkable, one might feel as though it has been done before. But that isn’t necessarily a particularly bad thing; Jack Ryan has taken the mold of singer-songwriter and put his own spin on it. The genre is popular for a reason, and Jack Ryan certainly shows that he is capable of taking on any other singer-songwriter.

Really, the worst thing about ‘Strong’ is that it is only four songs long,  this is bad for two reasons. One, because it is so enjoyable, one just wants to hear more. But also, it does not fully  show his potential. Yes, these four songs are all very impressive, and to be fair, they do not sound alike to one another. But it could be questioned whether or not this sound is capable of making a full length that does not become slightly uninteresting, only time will tell.

All in all though, for a debut EP, ‘Strong’ is a very solid and  promising start for Jack Ryan.