Helene Cronin spent over 15 years performing and songwriting -- often for other people -- before she awakened to the idea that she needed to follow her muse and start making records that more accurately represent the songs coming from her own heart. Following 2 recent EPs, Old Ghosts & Lost Causes is her first full length offering, although Cronin is a seasoned player. Produced by Matt King and featuring Kenny Vaughan, Byron House and others, the album serves up Cronin’s phenomenal songwriting in a sonic landscape that runs the gamut of the label Americana with hard driving guitar and thoughtful, top shelf musicianship.
The crux of it all is the lyrical mastery and vocal delivery that made Cronin a New Folk winner at the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival in 2018. Starting off the album is the first single, "Careless With a Heart", a reflective song that considers how we treat the fragile but resilient human heart. Following that is the blues-infused "Mean Bone", a co-write with her novelist daughter, Alex, which examines the idea: what if someone did in fact have a "mean bone in his body" contrary to the popular use of that expression? From that song about the darker side of humanity, Cronin flows into what she calls a centerpiece of the album, the uplifting "Humankind" which celebrates people's inherent desire to care for others. Later in “Riding The Gray Line”, she turns her attention to a host of characters riding a Greyhound bus and weaves their stories over an acoustic-based bed. To close out the record Helene returns fully to her folk roots with "Ghost", a six minute ballad, recounting from his perspective the story of a dead husband, performed completely solo long after the band had finished their work in the studio.
Overall, Old Ghosts & Lost Causes is the perfect vehicle for the precision of Helene Cronin’s songs. It showcases her versatility as a writer and performer while maintaining a cohesive overall feeling. In a world obsessed with singles and rushing to the next thing, Old Ghosts will grab ahold of you and demand that you sit and give it the attention a proper album deserves.
“Helene Cronin can flat out spin a lyric. Her ability to crawl within a subject and pull a story or emotion out the other end is what makes her a brilliant songwriter. Those writing chops delivered with those earthy vocals have made her one of the best artists I’ve heard in a long time.” - Terri Hendrix, Songwriter
01 - Careless With A Heart
02 - Mean Bone
03 - Humankind
04 - Devil I Know
05 - Riding The Gray Line
06 - El Camino Fly
07 - In A Kiss
08 - The Last Cowboy
09 - God Doesn't
10 - Mongrels And Mutts
11 - Ghost
"There’s some of Gretchen Peters’ darkness and incisive poetry in Helene Cronin’s terrific debut, and that alone should be more than enough for singer-songwriter fans to give Cronin their attention. Cronin is a wordsmith who pulls no punches. Some songs may make you uncomfortable but leave you marveling at her songwriting just the same." -Jim Hynes, Elmore Magazine
You can stream and download this top-shelf album from HERE or purchase the CD from HERE.
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