Ciarán Moran – Love In The Gutter (2025)
Hailing from Dublin’s North Inner City, Ciarán Moran is known for capturing the core of gritty urban reality and personal experiences, celebrating life in its totality and bringing it, in all its tragedy and triumph, to your ears. With a growing reputation for evocative melodies, moving lyricism, and powerful performances – having shared the stage with Gavin James, The Wolf Tones, and Macy Gray – Moran is quickly becoming one of the most intriguing acts to hit the Irish music scene.
Following his well-received single, ‘Give Up Your Love’, Ciarán Moran waltzes through different realms of folk music in his EP, Love In The Gutter. Opening with ‘Raised A Different Way’, Moran introduces us, with brutal honesty, to being raised in a sort of Angela’s Ashes world. It’s a prologue to what will be a delicate unpicking of reality with a “laying it bare on the ground” sentimentality.
Nodding to complex relationships, or rather the desire to find someone after first leaving everything for them, then missing the chance of being with someone he might love, Moran hits us with ‘Love In The Gutter’ and ‘Give Up Your Love’. Both tracks brim with the juxtaposition of heartbreaking yearning and an upbeat, toe-tapping melody hiding the fragility and vulnerability lying within. ‘Love In The Gutter’ has a slow, heavy indie-folk charm, but ‘Give Up Your Love’ is a breath of fresh air, swerving from folk-rock to classic rock and an indie flair.
Stepping in as track four, a remastered version of his 2024 single, ‘How Are You Man?’ Smoother, gentler, and showcasing a more sophisticated production than the rugged 2024 track, this ‘How Are You Man?’ washes over you with tender sound. Ending with the live acoustic version of ‘Hold You’, Moran finishes off with a tune that reaches further into your heart without any bells and whistles to impress.
On the surface, Love In The Gutter can be considered an album navigating relationships; however, and this is just me, the themes are more profound and poignant. Mostly in ‘How Are You Man?’, Love In The Gutter is a commentary on urban discontent, a need for change, and the need to continue even in the most dire hour – then again, that’s just my two cents.
Overall, what are my thoughts on Love In The Gutter and Ciarán Moran? One of the most intriguing musicians to pass across my virtual desk, Moran speaks to your heart, dips into your soul, and takes you on journeys far beyond your headphones. Featuring the talents of guitarist Conor Brady, bassist Robbie Malone, pianist Eoin Butterfield, and drummer Fichre Kinder, the EP is a melodic feast; add Moran’s poetic lyricism and rich vocals, and you have an EP to be cherished.
Find out more about Ciaran Moran on his Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, YouTube and Spotify.
This artist was sent to us by Jawdropper Music.
