Nirvana is the ongoing search, not the destination. Or at least that is according to Junior Brother, who suggests as much in the often-chilling stories told through The End. Creeping instrumentals, stories of people losing their way not because of activity, but the opposite. They drift from the path towards home because of their inaction. The End is not a wake-up call, nor does it present itself as a cautionary tale for those whose path is unclear. There is a pure fascination at the heart of The End, which lingers in the trance-like state Ronan Kealy brings to this latest project. The Revenger’s Tragedy is to thank for the name, and the tone of The End certainly lives up to the villainy of George Eld’s play. One of the more disturbing ways to start your morning, but the brilliance of The End goes far beyond the eerie atmosphere. The subtle touches throughout are what build those feelings of claustrophobia, the unsettling scenarios.
Listen a little closer, and there are some real and striking beauties, as there are on Small Violence. Kealy’s comments on the world around him, particularly on Week End, are striking. He notes there is no end in sight for us. There’s no break to be had when the days blur together. Bringing that to life with some thrilling instrumental overlaps is a pleasure to hear. The flutes and strings all serve the purpose of breaking us from the cycle. Once that’s broken, a lot of the work featured on The End is more to do with starting anew than it is about giving in. Week End may suggest we are stuck in that seven-day rat race but once you can lift yourself from it, there’s beauty to behold that wasn’t there before. It’s a constant across The End, with the bulk of its album tracks focused on what we can do to make life better, even with just a few little changes.
Take Guilt is a delightful offering, an upbeat instrumental and a soft joy for the world around us, though even then, a fear remains. Not for what is out there, but for what happens when it, be it an experience or life, comes to an end. The End is marvellous. A real celebration of life and all the hang-ups that come with it. You cannot live in the same paralysing fear as the characters found on Start Digging. Piercing strings, a heightened drama from the tempo change, and it’s another fantastic commentary from Junior Brother. There’s an exceptional overlap of instrumental strength and lyrical intensity. It’s paired together with a quality vocal range, the higher pitch suitable for the alternative folk Junior Brother offers. A fearsome album the whole way through, that is what The End is. Worldbuilding on The Kerry Polka is crucial for The End, not just because it alleviates the heavier feeling of earlier spots, but because it feeds the darker moments to follow.
Junior Brother knows taking on the alternative folk scene is a balancing act. He has worked this genre enough times to know. Old Bell takes Kealy beyond the folk genre. All that separates him from noise rock is the instrumental choice. Few are blurring the line between entertainment and engagement so clearly as this. The End being a wonderful listen should be no surprise. It has the same strengths as a select few other projects from this year, those moments from Ethel Cain or bdrmm, where the focus is worldbuilding around the instrumentals, rather than the music itself. It’s a brilliant continuation of Junior Brother’s sound, but it’s also a glimpse into the deep waters of his storytelling style.
