In Review: For Those I Love - For Those I Love

It's one of the first days of spring. In a strange form of happenstance, the bench I sit on whilst writing this review is dedicated to Chris Wallace, 1972 - 1997. ‘It was all a dream’. A park feels like the right space for this album, evoking a past of tinnies in fields, teenage house parties, and Myspace haunt this album. Following its thread of estates and ordinary culture, For Those I Love is the solo project from David Balfe prompted by the death of one of his best friends, poet Paul Curran, who died at a young age. 

My initial introduction to For Those I Love was via Overmono's remix of the eponymous album's opening track, and the main single that the record revolves around. It has fewer sharp edges than the Dublin artist's debut, and it is by no means a comfortable album. Somehow, heavy lyrics have been meaningfully blended into pop or dance album aesthetic. Balfe is a veteran of the punk scene, and some of the more jarring compositions seem to be testament to this. It is especially refreshing to see an artist take a heavy subject matter and pack it behind an avant-garde project. The difference that For Those I Love is based on the joy of what was once shared with that person. It is steeped in the tapestry of shared experiences between people and does not shy away from them. 

It is a supremely well-balanced album. Tracks drift into one another with ease, and it feels more like a single project than a meshing together of tracks. This is something hard to do, especially when working with the style of songwriting that Balfe employs. Through the rawness, For Those I Love brings something fresh - managing to avoid the tropes many others do not. He creates something that carries the weight of emotion amongst tales of the ordinary. 

For Those I Love is out now via September Recordings Limited.