Ryan Kelly Returns to the Theme of Romantic Regret in Messages

Last year saw the release of In Time, the debut solo album of Celtic Thunder's Ryan Kelly. Two of its tracks, In Too Deep and I Wish That I Could Get Over You, deal with the heartache of realizing that a relationship that seemed so perfect simply isn't going to work out. Kelly returns to that theme in the song Messages, which he recorded for the musical project Five Leaves Left - a song which, incidentally, includes the words "in time" in its lyrics.

This song is an interesting collaboration of artists, of whom I confess only Ryan was familiar to me. Brian McAteer wrote the song, while production is by Donal O'Connor and mastering by Cormac O'Kane. Paul McSherry plays the guitar, and Stephen Beggs and Siobhan O'Kelly add some snippets of dialogue toward the end.

This is a song about connection and miscommunication. Ryan's vocals are gently wistful as he sings about his certainty that he and the object of his affections shared a powerful bond and the gradual realization that either he misunderstood or she changed. The central idea of getting messages is one that will resonate with anyone who has struggled to understand exactly what another person is trying to convey.

The most poignant part of the song for me is the earnestly delivered lead-in to the first chorus: "You laughed at the right time, at the punch line. I thought that at this time, there was still time..." The verses proceed in a curious, almost staccato fashion with very short phrases strung together, emblematic of the stilted communication between the two. "And so, I liked this game and loved what it became, this sort-of love."

The song grows rather experimental toward the end with the spoken word interjections, which seem as though they're supposed to sound like answering machine messages, though they feel more like snippets of a fervently delivered speech. They seem disjointed and a bit unsettling, rather like the dialogue in Simon and Garfunkel's Fakin' It; I'm not entirely sure I like the device, but I think it's an interesting way to explore the overall theme of confusion in communication.

While the liner notes single out the guitarist, it's the keyboard that seems most prominent here, along with some light percussion. It's a fairly mellow tune that builds in intensity a bit as vocal harmonies back up Ryan's forlorn lead toward the end. Generally, I like the lyrics and delivery a lot, though a couple of lines have very odd phrasing where it feels like the end of a sentence but is actually part of a preparation for a complete thought. Namely, McAveety keeps splitting up the phrase "kind of" so that "kind" is followed by a noticeable break. It seems he simply wanted to emphasize "kind" for the sake of rhyme, and it just comes off as strange.

For the most part, though, this is a great stand-alone track. When December comes along, no song can ever compete with Dan Fogelberg's Same Old Lang Syne in my mind when it comes to reflections on regret in relationships, but Messages has more of a year-round appeal for someone in the mood for something a little melancholy. Meanwhile, this marks Ryan Kelly's return to recording several months after announcing his retreat from the music business, so downer of a theme aside, this song's very existence is music to fans' ears. Here's hoping there will be plenty more to come!