Willie J Healey - People and Their Dogs

The Guardian 60

(National Anthem/Columbia)

Nothing much happens in Willie J Healey’s songs, most of which document his everyday life and dreams, but his debut album is rarely dull. Partly that’s because of the 22-year-old singer-songwriter’s vocal range – one minute he sounds feral, the next half asleep – and partly it’s because of his pithy turn of phrase. “The people that you like the least are the ones who love you most,” he sings on Somewhere in Between, one of the standouts, a languid, ragged blues track with a lovely sax solo. When his way with words deserts him, Healey’s appeal wanes, but his frisky lo-fi rock has a homespun charm.