Brigid O'Neill - Prayers (single)
Co.Down based Brigid O'Neill co-wrote her new single with her friend and fellow artist Matt McGinn, ‘Prayers’ is a cathartic, chart-friendly future live favourite and is set to give fans plenty to chew on as anticipation builds for her forthcoming sequel to 2017 album Touchstone. A potent and passionate protest song which sees the genre-spanning tunesmith tackle Big Brother’s seduction and bullying of the masses, the country and folk flecked foot stomper serves as both a warning and a rallying cry. "Prayers’ is a song with a lot of attitude” says Brigid. “We are constantly confronting the ‘powers that be’ - and they come in so many guises - everything from the Church, to our favourite social media platforms, to a government that falls far short of what it says it’s going to do. Often however we are still attracted to these things - there’s a seduction and a temptation to be part of them. You can be so easily be sucked in and controlled.”
Musically, Prayers has everything a great country song needs to have catchy melody, trademark instruments such as violin, creating the typical atmosphere, powerful lyrics where you have to read between the lines to get the true meaning. O'Neill shows she can't be labeled as a singer/songwriter only, she's way more than just a girl with a guitar. Her vocals are warm, confident, inviting. The music invites you to dance a country dance. The lyrics are more serious, questioning the power of the religion when we need to get out of a difficult situation. Of course there are deeply religious people out there and the song isn't attacking their faith by any means. The message you take out of this track is you should rely on yourself in life, no higher powers are going to solve your troubles and you shouldn't place yourself under their control.
"You’re just travellers on the road
Searching for a pot of gold
We're buying up dreams with nothing to sell
It's a set up on the road to hell"