Irish crooner Paddy Hanna has a new album called The Hill coming out in October, and today he follows up lead single “Colosseum” with a track called “Sinatra”. Of its genesis, Paddy says:
“I was given an Italian Chord organ from a friend as a gift, it was built in the early 60s and I was really rather taken by its sound, a sort of airy creakiness. When I sat down to play it for the first time I wrote Sinatra, which is I suppose a sort of Italian Murder ballad. I’m not sure why I would write such a song to be honest, I may have been in a vengeful mood, or perhaps the Chord Organ had some dark secrets and wanted to channel them through my fingers! We may never know“
Paddy makes great use of this Italian chord organ on “Sinatra”, forming the basis of the song with a melody that is both buoyant and dastardly. The darkness in its timbre is emphasised by his melodramatic vocal and words, which tell an unusual story of intrigue, shot through with personal emotional pain. “Sinatra” winds its way through this macabre world, reaching the chorus where Paddy mumbles “but if you don’t like it…” before switching to a theatrical croon for the ultimatum “I’ll die before the light is leaving!” The mid-point of “Sinatra” takes a flamboyant detour as a guitar burns its way through the track, while the rhythm section of Girl Band keeps things bouncing along. Once the guitar has turned to embers, they set “Sinatra” back on track for the brilliantly tragicomic finale, where Paddy sings his heart out as the dark clouds and bad omens seem to gather all around, until they swallow him up.
Listen to “Sinatra” via the video below or on your preferred streaming platform.
Paddy Hanna’s new album The Hill comes out on October 16 through Strange Brew (pre-order). You can find him on Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
