Jack Rua - Narcissus (2020)

If there are strong whiffs of Lady Gaga, Madonna, David Bowie and Prince in Jack Rua’s debut work, then there are also vigorous elements contained within that underline the Dubliner’s individual, expressive voice. In other words, the lyrics tell the real story: Rua’s life experiences as a queer adult graduating from college, travelling from Ireland to New York City, embarking on a long-term relationship, and then nursing a shattered heart when that ended.

Thematically, Narcissus is fashioned in demanding self-realisation, a chronological sequence of songs that, in Rua’s words (and which directly reference the album title), “structurally resembles me looking at myself in the mirror”.