J Eoin - Leyden
J Eoin is a singer/guitarist/songwriter from Limerick City, Ireland, with considerable experience as a live performer and studio musician in both traditional and contemporary folk music. He began his professional career in Ireland during the early ‘80’s touring with Clannad and Scullion before settling in London where he established himself as part of the thriving music scene there at the time. Early releases including ‘Ribbonmen’ (1991) and ‘Sean One Shoe’ (1994) defined J Eoin’s ‘Song Poetry’ style and received critical acclaim for their historical relevance and the quality of the song writing.
J Eoin returned to the studio in 2005 to write and produce the album ‘Exiles’, a collection of songs relating to his personal experiences of relocation, which was showcased and released at the 12 Bar Club in London’s West End. Following an extended period working internationally on the festival and club circuit both as a solo performer and working as an accompanist J Eoin returned to the studio in 2013 to record ‘Acrobat' with producer Gerry Diver (Lisa Knapp – Wild and Undaunted). The album was listed as the number one choice for playlists on Czech Republic National Radio during December 2014.
Returning to Ireland in 2017, J Eoin has continued to record and release new material including 2018’s ‘Sunshowers’ which featured a collection of solo songs recorded ‘Live in the Rua Room’ in Ghent, Belgium. A live concert album, ‘Toogenblik – J Eoin In Concert’, recorded at the famous Toogenblik Folk Club in Brussels in June 2016, was remastered and released through Natural5Four Records in July 2019. This intimate recording showcases J Eoin’s natural abilities as a solo performer and captures the essence of the man whose vision began at an open door in Ireland and has continued to break on the city shores and the far away oceans across the world today.
His recent release "Leyden" is a retrospective collection of songs released through independent record labels in 1990s. It completes the picture if you're familiar with the albums he's released because here you get a chance to hear early versions of songs like Sean One Shoe, Hungry Hill or I'm No Angel (especially the latter kept evolving for quite some time). There are also gems that you most likely haven't had a chance to hear live.
His warm vocal immediately draws you in, you can tell straight from the first chords he knows his craft inside out and he doesn't need much more than his guitar and voice to leave a long-lasting impression on the listener. The imagery in his lyrics paints a vivid picture and the result goes straight into your heart, heals the soul.
In "Life Story" he's seemingly opening up to the listener and you feel like knowing him when in reality you might not. Intimate and personal, suits the Limerick artist the best.
Slow China is another one of those songs you wonder why it hasn't been released on either of the albums. Laced with romance, it perhaps cannot be more direct with the words "say I love you The whole world listens I say I love you The whole world knows When we come closer There is no hiding"
These words say it all. You don't find many songs like that in J Eoin's catalogue but this one is intriguing enough because he doesn't overdose your ears with sweetness yet the impact is there. He always knows to choose the right words, no matter what he sings about.
Eve of Solution is an interesting track wth its oriental vibe. J Eoin is almost whispering certain parts, putting emphass on delivering others and the result is enchanting, truly smelling of exotic spices and carrying a mysticism within.