Radar: Only Child at Leaf

A touch of Caledonian soul on display, this week, as Only Child release their debut EP at Leaf.

Trestles frontman Alan O’Hare is an only child. That’s often a precursor for spoiled brats with too many Power Rangers. But, thankfully, O’Hare’s turned it into bruised and beautiful introspection on his latest musical project. Together with the sublime fiddle playing from Laura McKinaly his new set of songs are quietly moving meditations on love, loss and belonging. Infused with O’Hare’s heart-on-sleeve lyrics, and authentic blend of Mersey/Celtic minor keys, you can almost taste the salt sea air of the Hebridean seas as it washes over you (even if, on Before and After, he sails perilously close to the Del Amitri wind, he still gets away with it).