Song of Co-Aklan

Song of Co-Aklan is the sixth and final solo album by the Irish singer / songwriter Cathal Coughlan. It was recorded in London just before the COVID-19 pandemic ^[1] and released in 2021.

Coughlan started writing the album in 2016, and the song 'The Lobster's Dream, had originally had been written for a W.B. Yeats commemoration show at the National Concert Hall, Dublin in 2015. In a detailed, open and comprehensive interview with John Robb^[2], Coughlan discusses how he writes songs, saying that that when songwriting he is led by the music, and the words, except maybe a title, come later. He refers to a "Co-Aklan re-brand", "rampant untruths", and that the album has a theme of identity and identities, and he refers to his own identity as a 'stateless person' and his relationship with Ireland. When concluding about his lyrics he says ''they wouldn't be songs if I knew exactly what they're about'. He shares that his longterm veganism influenced some of the songs about animals. And finally in the interview, Coughlan revealed to Robb that he'd left a few songs off 'Song of Co-Aklan' that he might put onto an EP in the future.

The album received good reviews on its release^[3] and is considered the peak of his solo career. ^[4] Some reviewers have written about the concept of the album and that the lyrics had been written from the point of view of Coughlan's alter-ego Co Aklan.^[5] According to critic Neil Hodge's review he describes this as how the listener is drawn in "from the opening bars of the albums title track....into the world of Co Aklan [with] perfectly obtuse lyrics with a deeper meaning, alongside Coughlan’s welcoming dynamic vocal."^[5]

All songs written by Cathal Coughlan.

1. Song Of Co-Aklan (3:43)
2. Passed-Out Dog (3:11)
3. My Child Is Alive! (3:29)
4. Crow Mother (3:48)
5. St Wellbeing Axe (2:38)
6. Owl In The Parlour (4:15)
7. Let's Flood The Fairground (3:33)
8. The Lobster's Dream (4:48)
9. The Copper Beech (4:14)
10. The Knockout Artist (3:25)
11. Falling Out North Street (3:32)
12. Unrealtime (3:39)

• Cathal Coughlan – vocals
• Nick Allum - Drums and Percussion (all tracks except 9)
• Audrey Riley - Cello (2,3,4,6,8,11)
• James Woodrow - Electric & Acoustic Guitar (1,2,3,5,6,7,8,11)
• Rhodri Marsden - Bass Guitar (3,4,6,7,8) Bassoon (3)
• Luke Haines - Bass (1,2,5) Baritone Guitars (1) Acoustic Guitar (7) The Synth (1,2)
• Jonathan Fell - Bass Guitar (10,11)
• Sean O'Hagan - Bass Guitar (12) Vocals (12) The Synth & The Turnaround Chord (10)
• Eileen Gogan - Vocals (12)
• Aindrías Ó Grúama - Frictive Guitar (5)
• John Bennett - Vocals (10) Silde Guitar (10)
• Cory Gray - Wurlitzer Piano (11)

• Official website cathalcoughlan.com