Dean: Maria Kelly and Crispy Jason soothe the soul

Witnessing alt-folk artist Maria Kelly open for Ailbhe Reddy at The Button Factory in February 2022 made me a fan – something, I imagine, all support acts want to hear from members of the crowd who are present to see the headline act. A live artist who makes it impossible to exchange small talk, you could almost hear the creak of the Temple Bar building during her wispish, ethereal solo set. Softer than a murmur, as quiet as Pluto’s moons.

The chilly calm Kelly cast that night reflected her debut album, the sum of the in-between, released a few months prior. Its songs are mellow and soothing, partially inspired, Kelly has said, by therapy sessions she received during its writing. But there is also a gripping feeling of anxiety. The album opens with a short, unsettling piece titled “panic” that includes heavy breathing and the sound of a heartbeat; “eight hours” captures the feeling of the mind tripping on repeat on a sleepless night.

Recent months have seen Kelly – Mayo-born, but a graduate of the BIMM Music Institute Dublin – return with a couple of new songs, hopefully lighting a path to a second album.

There is “Drive”, on which she envisions spending her last day on Earth traveling to belatedly make amends with an unspecified person she’s fallen out with, before conceding that her time is not coming to an end and she’s never going to take that necessary trip. With a steady bass drum beat that calls to mind the favored production of beloved Brooklyn folk band Big Thief helping to build the atmosphere, the arrangement is slightly more forceful than much of the sum of the in-between – though that’s like saying a spider’s leg is heavier than a moth’s wing.

Just this month, Kelly put out “Slump”, which captures the sense of personal stagnation. “I’m in a slump and I can’t wake up,” she sings. “I’ve been feeling this way all week.” As ever, Kelly’s voice is delicate, yet expressive, every crack and nuance clearly coming through the speakers. You can picture her sliding off the coach to her guitar, seeking some catharsis from the feeling of listlessness.

That said, the instrumentation on “Slump” is played entirely by her collaborator Matt Harris, who is credited on mandolin, ukulele, acoustic guitar, bass, and percussion, with Rob Campbell providing additional cello. Writing about having a creative slowdown is an interesting gambit, yet both “Slump” and “Drive” rank among Kelly’s strongest work, setting a pretty table for what’s hopefully to come.

In a totally different sonic realm is Shadowcon One, a phenomenal new four-song EP by Crispy Jason, né Rian Trench, the electronic musician formerly of the duo Solar Bears. Life under this new moniker begins with this rubber band ball of vibrant colours and various sides and dimensions, no less soul-soothing than Kelly’s cabin-in-the-woods creakiness.

The EP grabbed me immediately, even if my first reaction when listening to the opening track “Shadowcon One” was, So, this is like Syro, Aphex Twin’s now 10-year-old classic album. It’s the way the synthesizers bounce, squelch, ping, and glide, so satisfying on the ear.

Being able to replicate a genuine pioneer like Aphex Twin is a blessed skill, of course, but the EP soon moves beyond mere mimicry. “Coastal Parking Acid” has a late-night city street strut to it, offset by a grinding, almost death metal-inspired motif that drops in every now and then.

There is “Arcade Smashup”, which successfully replicates the sensory overload of entering a massive amusement arcade. “City Knights”, though, is a genuine 8-bit dream. Press play on the song and you can picture yourself in a pseudo-3D driving video game, behind the wheel of a pixelated convertible, cruising towards a horizon that never seems to get any closer.

Maria Kelly will perform on Thursday 3 October at 11.10pm in The Workman’s Cellar as part of Ireland Music Week 2024.