Dublin guitarist Cian Nugent has been digressing beautifully for a few years now, pushing at the seam where psychedelia, country and the Takoma school of folk ragas meet. His previous three works have been as instrumental as they have been restless. But Night Fiction unveils the previously elegiac Irishman as that most over-represented of beasts – a warbly singer-songwriter – on five of its seven tracks. Although songs such as Things Don’t Change That Fast favourably recall many doleful US barroom bards, voice and words don’t actually improve Nugent, who packs more lyricism in his fingers than most. The interplay of his guitar, brass, piano and drums on Shadows is just as soulful as his vocal delivery.
