FIONN REGAN -- THE END OF HISTORY

The label of singer-songwriter certainly has its stigmas (see: Gavin DeGraw) and its unrealistically lofty ideals (see: Bob Dylan, et al). Ireland's latest musical export is Fionn Regan, a singer/songwriter who actually lives up to the latter. His first full album, The End of History, is sparse, mostly filled with just Regan's crooning vocals and intricate guitar picking. The young man easily recalls Nick Drake and Elliott Smith, displaying an inherent beauty in relatively simple songs. There is no extravagance in his work; the songs have the feel of Regan playing in an intimate setting solely for the listener, with a few well-placed backing vocals and some occasional subtle drumming. The risk Regan runs (as is the case for an artist putting out an album chock-full of raw, acoustic tracks) is losing the listener's interest through repetition or even boredom, both of which he avoids, primarily through his eloquent writing, which often contains some degree of humor that belies the melancholic feel of much of The End of History. The album is beautifully straightforward and captivating. Regan's songwriting and ability to get the most of out his acoustic guitar grab you from the incredible opening track "Be Good or Be Gone" and stay with you hours after closer "Bunker or Basement" fades into silence. Fionn Regan is as good an heir to the true label of singer/songwriter (in the lineage of Dylan, Drake and the many other legends that also exist in that genre) as you'll find today. (Kevin Michell) Grade: A