Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

There will be those that tell you there are ten types of stories to be told, there are others who profoundly, and perhaps more accurately, declare that there is only one, the search for who we are. Yet, somewhere in between there could be argued that there is more than just the singular vision beheld by many as true and sacrosanct, that who we are can eventually be found and held close, but what about the journey that may come after, what about the passion found in remembering the past?

Anybody taking in the music of Alan O’ Hare, either as a solo performer or across the bands he has plied his trade in, expanded his depth and meaning far beyond the mystical horizon that we all seek, and to whom now understands who we are and as firm Liverpool favourite Only Child is now Lookin’ For A Song, one that takes great pleasure in the journey.

Some of us in life are fortunate enough to understand who we are, the dreams may change, the opinions may vary and alter, but those people have already hard-wired into their soul the essence of self-confirmation, of their true passions and identity. It is a praise that should be handed to Alan O’ Hare and the way he searches for what makes the journey tick, what makes it at times more important that the person looking for identity.

It is not hard to Alan O’ Hare, or indeed Only Child in a certain light, one that is filled with the aura of truth, of displaying his thoughts and observations on his sleeves, whether in the upbeat anger, or in the slow burn of beauty, for like many who have influenced this musical poet of Liverpool, he believes in exactly what he says and follows it through.

It is an overwhelming sense of occasion, keen observance of the emotions felt in Lookin’ For A Song, a journey that unquestionably always keeps us captivated, and one that sees Only Child return ready with stout, confident, true heart into the lives of those who seek out passage to a different way of thinking.

Ian D. Hall