Arrivals showcases O’Rourke’s first new material in two years and brings us the most emotionally raw and affecting album of his career.
Produced by Paul Weller at Black Barn Studio, Surrey, the sound is stripped back to Declan’s soulful and resonant voice, the virtuosic acoustic guitar playing for which he’s renowned and only the occasional sparse arrangement of strings and late-night drums bringing colour and light to the LP’s 10 songs.
Weller, a fan of Declan’s songwriting for some years, also adds his multi-instrumental abilities to the recordings, including a beautiful piano accompaniment to the closing track.