MICHAEL J. SHEEHY - Don’t We Deserve Some Kind Of Love

Pain runs deep, almost always invisible, often endured in solitude and gripped by a guilt that's hard to face.
“Don’t We Deserve Some Kind Of Love” is the diary of a man who, after a long journey through the depths of despair and addiction, has found hope again. Michael J. Sheehy's seventh solo album is a collection of lonely, bitter, noir ballads, never so intimate and poignant.
The trash-glam-rock of Dream City Film Club is now a distant memory. His voice remains deep, guttural and melodically intense, but now moves through sounds steeped in foreboding and suffering: an American-gothic tale that will strike a chord with fans of Leonard Cohen and Nick Cave.

Released without much fanfare, with the discretion befitting a record of such dark, introspective tones, the English artist's new work remains constantly poised between hope and torment, a bittersweet yet optimistic account of five years of light and shadow. Michael J. Sheehy confronts the ghosts of a dissolute life armed with nothing but the depth of his voice, the leaden echo of the keyboards and the reverb of the guitar on "Like Blood On Snow", though he doesn't forget the energy of certain rock'n'roll ballads, like the Elvis Presley-esque stride of "Full Moon, Empty Bell".
Finally, he finds the courage to pour out all his fears in the open-hearted confession of "You Better Take Everything", where organ and violin provide a melancholic, heart-rending backdrop.

On this journey through the dark recesses of addiction – thankfully now behind him – the author even finds room for a touch of macabre humour ("Only Drinking In My Dream"), uses powerful piano tones for a heartfelt declaration of love ("Don't Put Yourself Beyond The Reach Of Love"), and turns to blues and gospel sounds to tell of human frailty ("Pure Deep Water"), venturing as far as a daring goth-country excursion on "The Left Hand Don't Need To Know".
The farewell is entrusted to "Tiny Blessing", a brief country ballad that sounds like it's spinning off an old 78 rpm record: the final piece sealing a moving journey of redemption, as spiritual as it is artistic.

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05/08/2026