Passenger by Lisa Hannigan

Irish singer-songwriter Lisa Hannigan hit the ground running with her debut album 'Sea Sew', and there is no sign of her stumbling or falling backwards in her follow up album 'Passenger'. Since parting ways with Damien Rice, a collaboration which could be seen as her apprenticeship, Lisa has matured very well as a singer-songwriter in her own right. 'Passenger' is another step towards fulfilling her potential and, although some songs are better than others, there is not a weak track on the album. In saying that the highlight tracks of 'Passenger' are not quite as strong as the highlight tracks of 'Sea Sew' but over all the albums are both on a par with each other. 'Knots' is a terrific track delivered with great gusto and power, and really stands out on the album. 'What'll I Do' is catchy and quirky and makes me want to dance. 'O Sleep' is a lovely duet with Ray Lamontagne and their different vocal styles compliment each other very well. The title track 'Passenger' is her folky pop at its best, and 'Safe Travels (Don't Die)' is worth listening to just for the lyrics. Her assortment of bandmembers contribute well to the album and help to carve out a distinct sound that is very Lisa Hannigan. 'Passenger' is fresh, lyrical and easy listening in the best possible sense. 8/10