Mayo musician Niall McCabe releases new album called 'Stranger'

Niall McCabe is no stranger to the music scene in Mayo and beyond. The Clare Island man opened for Ed Sheeran when he toured Ireland and McCabe also opened for Foy Vance and Johnny Swim with Beoga.

Yet, his new album 'Stranger' reveals a feeling of disconnect, certainly more present in recent years with social media ramping up, and the arrival of ever smarter AI systems.

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In this album, McCabe is tackling the bigger issues. Just like he did in his first album 'Rituals', which was mostly written during the Covid pandemic and carried some of the isolation and anguish of that particular time.

The title for the new album 'Stranger' was anything but coincidental: “This last while has just felt stranger, weirder. Some things feel out of place.

We kind of feel out of sync. I feel like a stranger—in the world, in my body. A lot of times you’ve got that imposter syndrome, and at home you feel like a stranger.”

McCabe likes the ambiguity. It could mean multiple things and encapsulates what's been going on for McCabe, as “things are feeling strange.

It’s a general vibe. Social media is ramping up, getting smarter and smarter, focusing on what makes us tick, so we’re easier to manipulate.”

The album cover for Niall McCabe's 'Stranger'

This feeling is embodied by one of the album's singles, called 'Darker Love', which stands out.
“I get a thrill playing it,” McCabe admits.

“Thematically it’s a social commentary. People online talk about love, inclusion, kindness, but they’re often the least loving, least inclusive, least kind. If that’s love, it’s a darker love than the one I believed in as a kid.

And the first verse sets the tone already, by stating “You and I can never sing along, I’d rather let the music die.”

A powerful statement for a musician who grew up surrounded by music and lives and breathes his craft. For 'Stranger' McCabe went for a specific sound, with a clear vision though: “I’ve played jazz, funk, soul, psychedelia—if you let it all in, it becomes cacophony.

For album one, I cut most high frequencies, used accordion instead of organ, stuck to traditional instruments.”

But 'Stranger' leans more toward Americana, intentionally mixing traditional Irish and Americana in a way that doesn’t sound cheesy.

McCabe's creative energy, when it bursts, has to be struck like an iron: While it's hot: “After I've written some songs, I might go away and fill up the tank—reading, thinking, living.

Then I write four songs in a day. I’d like to record them quickly so they don’t lose their life force.

By his own accounts, McCabe is always looking forward, already has songs for a third album in the pipeline.

He's 'eager' to record again, inspired by an artist like Van Morrison: “He’s forever making and moving on. I wonder if he even listens back once it’s released.

I wish I could do that. If you spend too long in the process, you overdo it for yourself. I’d love to record an album live, really fast, with a band—capture the energy before I get sick of it.”

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