"You Don't Love Me" EP by Don Mescall (Curb Records)

There used to be a time when we were way ahead of our Irish cousins. Going over on holiday we'd politely pretend that their St Bernard trainers were as cool as Nike's and everyone in England wants a pair. We'd marvel when Wayne's World would still be in the cinemas when over here it was already shown on TV. Twice. And we'd smile and nod appreciatively at their taste in music.

Ah, the music! If it was alive it would be a giant weevil with large teeth that bit you incessantly. But times they are a-changing. Our cousins are far cooler than us in every way possible. Their cars are cooler, they dress better and they have their finger on the cultural pulse.

This is evident in the figure of Don Mescall. The Limerick balladeer has been a favourite in Ireland for a few years now, and it seems like only a matter of time before he becomes a global star. His latest offering, the "You Don't Love Me" EP, preceding the album "Innocent Run", which is due out later this month, contains three pieces of absolute country pop perfection.

"One Of Those Days" reveals Mescall has a voice to match his songwriting talent with the range of an Olympic discus thrower. He sings mostly in his lower range, rising with emphasis to the song words, not to show the dexterity of his voice or to mask meaningless lyrics by launching into lung busting soprano.

There is an integrity to everything he does that just makes you think he wouldn't do it if he didn't mean it. With "More Than Miles", Mescall slows it down just a tad, and it's another song of loss, but if loss is what inspires him, we hope he never finds what he's looking for. With Don Mescall, we have all missed a trick.

This EP works as an excellent introduction to Mescall's music, so do everything you can to get your hands on it. You Don't Love Me? We will Don. We will.

by Noel Mullen - The Irish World