dahi-jimIn a country that is saturated with talented musicians, it’s nice to see a gathering of musicians creating a unique blend of punk and folk music, and doing it well. This, is Dahí Jim and The Adelaide Band’s first gift to the music world.

‘Shine’ is Dahí Jim’s first album, released on the 28th of December 2013. Accompanying the Dublin based singer-songwriter is the Adelaide Band, which consists of musicians who contribute violin, piano, cello, viola, vocals, guitar, bass and drums respectively. The addition of a band enhances the calibre of the music churned out immensely, adding depth and intensity to the album from start to finish.

”Shine’ delivers a no nonsense approach to the issues in Ireland through well written songs, be they about religion, emigration or just the general trials and tribulations facing young people in the country today.

The album has fantastic ideals, particularly in tracks like Australia, which is a back and forth letter exchange between a father and his son, who has emigrated from Ireland to Australia. It has fantastic sentiments, but is a little bit too long winded, clocking in at nearly seven minutes. It’s hard to focus on the song for that long, and it does feel like it could have been shortened a bit. Towards the end, Dahí’s voice is accompanied by female vocals, and this adds to the song greatly.

There are definitely a few standout tracks on the album, such as delicate piano led song A Little Prayer, and hard-hitting track Somewhere which features rich backing vocals and an almost punk feel to it.

‘Shine’ is a very good first album by all accounts. It is relatable, well-written and features songs bursting with sentimentality. The production of the album is very limited, but this actually works in its favour as it manages to catch all the emotion that was poured into every song. It isn’t a perfect album by any accounts, but there isn’t enough  wrong to really take away from the upbeat vibes and positivity that radiates from it.