Megan and the Common Threads – Stories to Tell EP Review

Megan and the Common Threads are artists we’ve featured a number of times on Belles and Gals and I was delighted when I heard that they were releasing an EP – I was even more delighted when I heard it for the first time. The EP has six songs in total and here is a track by track look.

London City Ghosts – This is a great opener to the EP, a nice mix of atmospheric and catchy, the fiddle throughout really adding a nice extra layer to the song. The song slows down in the middle really effectively, before soaring again and Megan’s vocals really bring the song to life.

Blessing or a Curse – This second number is one that just builds and builds throughout the 3 minutes. The song has a great chorus and could easily be a single. The song contains the line ‘Driving fast with the windows down’, which is exactly what you should be doing when listening to this.

Walls – This third number has a real Gaelic feel, with a return to the gritty, more atmospheric mood of the opening track. The echo effect in the latter part of the song is super effective while the brilliant fiddle comes to the fore again. Halfway through the EP and you know that Megan and the Common Threads are a band to be reckoned with.

Devil and the Deep – There is little doubt that this is the most striking number on the EP, a song that really struck a chord when I heard it live last year in London. The anthemic chorus ‘Spare a thought for the refugees, between the devil and the deep blue sea’ is one that sticks with you. This is just a great song.

Stories to Tell – The title track is a lovely song about returning home after a long while, and seeing that things have changed.  This gentler number is a nice contrast to the previous one and it shows that Megan and the band have got a great versatility in their music.

Awake in to the Light – The final number is one that grows on you every time you listen to it, with just a brilliant chorus that you’ll find yourself singing along to long after the song has finished. This has hit written all over it and is a fine way to end the EP.

This EP offers up a wonderful mix. You have the delightful songwriting and engaging vocals of Megan O’Neill, the brilliant fiddle play of Mairead Furlong and the rest of the Common Threads who bring it all together to create an EP which is sure to make an impact. It might only be February, but there won’t be many better records out this year. pre-order it here before its release on Friday.

Review written by Nick Cantwell