FARRELLY - Farrelly
The storytelling is deeply human. These songs are as much journal entries as they are anthems; filled with lyrical fire, political ache, and brooding sonic textures.
By Juan
5/14/20251 min read
On Rotation: Farrelly by Farrelly (Album)
Newcastle-based songwriter Liam Farrelly has finally unveiled his long-awaited debut album, a self-titled project that’s raw, poetic, and unflinchingly political. ‘Farrelly’ is a collection of songs written over the span of twenty years, brought to life during the stillness of COVID lockdowns with gritty honesty, gospel harmonies, and an urgency that feels impossible to ignore.
Originally from Apsley, a tiny farming town in Victoria also known as the birthplace of Nick Cave, Farrelly grew up surrounded by Irish ballads, protest folk, and the kind of late-night political debates that shape a person early. These songs, carried quietly for decades, became his voice when the world fell silent.
There’s a lot of feeling packed into this record. ‘Somewhere in Uvalde’ is a hushed, devastating response to the Texas school shooting, inspired by a single cartoon that wouldn’t leave his mind. ‘Heroes of the Day’ takes a different approach, bold, satirical, and sharp-edged. And by the time ‘Indignation’ rolls around, gospel vocals lift the record into something that feels both angry and redemptive.
With production by Gareth Hudson and bass from longtime collaborator Mick Rippon, Farrelly blends indie rock, folk protest tradition, post-punk energy, and gospel soul into something entirely his own. It’s music for the weary and the hopeful, for people who still believe change is possible, even when it comes at a cost.
