During the summer months we crave an album of easy listening, with songs that can be danced to at a festival or while relaxing at home. ‘Breathe Easy,’ the debut album from Dublin based musician Niall Thomas, is just that.

This musical offering is an excellent mix of slow melting tunes with some upbeat jams thrown in for good measure. Throughout the album there are nods to acoustic legends such as Bob Dylan and David Gray, with added speckles of artists such as Jack Johnson and Glen Hansard.

Songs like Hit and Run and the title track Breathe Easy perfectly show case Niall Thomas’ effortless and raw vocals that have you hanging on every word. This is nicely accompanied by his hard-hitting guitar playing, which gives the album a unique flow and groove.

On The Flickering, the guitar riff and husky vocals further enhance the records raw and compelling edge that make it so endearing. Spillin Diamonds is radio friendly and soulful and is guaranteed to get your foot stomping, the added boost of violin and yet more creative guitar playing make it one of the best songs on this must have album.

It’s not easy to create such an eclectic album without it sounding like there is a lack of direction and focus, but for ‘Breathe Easy’ it works perfectly. These days we hear so much over-produced music with too many bells and whistles, this record is a nice change and showcases Niall Thomas’ fantastic musicianship. The stripped down, almost vintage sound makes it clear that Niall Thomas is one to watch for the future.