:: Ricky Warwick - Belfast Confetti

Ricky Warwick

When the name Ricky Warwick is mentioned, many will no doubt remember him as the front man/guitarist of UK based hard rock/metal act The Almighty. And it’s not that surprising either given over the course of twelve years, the group managed to create quite a name for themselves, as well as fly the flag for the British metal scene, with their seven studio releases. Since the demise of The Almighty, Warwick has been forging out a solo career, with 2003’s ‘Tattoos & Alibis’, 2005’s ‘Love Many Trust Few’ and 2007’s ‘Love Owes’ EP all meeting with a modest success. Returning with his third full-length solo effort ‘Belfast Confetti’, the Irish born Warwick further cements his reputation as a premier singer/songwriter in his own right with a collection of songs that rely purely on the strength of his acoustic guitar, his strong voice and the assortment of stories he’s gathered from his past travels. The up-tempo and rocking opener ‘Can’t Wait For Tomorrow’ has an undeniable feel and quality of The Almighty’s past work, and works perfectly at breaking the album in. But that’s not to say that ‘Belfast Confetti’ is full of potential numbers for The Almighty. In fact, it’s quite the opposite in most cases. ‘The Arms Of Belfast Town’ influenced by traditional Irish folk, while ‘Punchin’ Thunder’, the beautifully simplistic ‘Born Fightin’’ and ‘If You’re Gonna Bleed (Wear Black)’, while all very different from one another, are from the same storytelling mindset as artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Steve Earle, Billy Brag and Johnny Cash. The slower paced ‘Throwin’ Dirt’ is a definite favourite with the dual vocals and simple acoustic/piano framework showcasing Warwick’s emotive voice, while the gentle electric guitar work behind ‘Thousands Are Leaving’ adds a completely different vibe to the song, it remains unobtrusive enough to allow the song to sit amongst the other tracks without sounding out of place. The up-tempo and rocking ‘Hanks Blues’ is another firm favourite with its heavy percussion and Warwick’s distorted vocals, while the raw and heartfelt title track ‘Belfast Confetti’ is quite possibly the strongest song to emerge from Warwick in years. Despite including a couple of tracks that don’t quite work as well as most, ‘Belfast Confetti’ is another strong solo release from Warwick, and one that will no doubt finally start earning him some overdue respect as quite the songwriter.