Eternity Near by TRÚ

Recording their second album in a time of global sickness, war and personal struggles, TRÚ has drawn on old wisdom to deal with the realities of death and love. On this record, the trio sings of timeless folk characters in hand-picked traditional songs and original compositions inspired from the worlds of sean nós, Scots poetry and Americana ballads.

"Eternity Near" follows the critical success of their debut 2021 album ("No Fixed Abode"), which was nominated for Best Album at Northern Ireland Music Prize, ranked in MOJO's Top 10 Folk Albums of the year, and was playlisted on BBC Introducing. The trio's sophomore offering further explores the intersection between traditional folk material, original songwriting styles and contemporary production techniques.

Produced against the backdrop of recent break-ups, family ill-health and bereavement, "Eternity Near" became a source of healing and catharsis for the band over the past 18 months. The record is bookended by two voices from beyond the grave (one an adulterer, the other a spéirbhean/spirit). We also witness the shooting of a selkie and listen to a ribcage harp from one of the oldest murder ballads in the English tradition. We hear songs of forbidden and unrequited love and encounter the archetypal temptress - Molly/Malaidh - in two different tracks.

Perhaps a response to the pandemic and global conflict and in light of recent private challenges for Mormecha, Trouton and Kearney, this album ignores the finality of death to peer beyond. In accessing the afterlife, the supernatural, and the overwhelm of love, these folk songs deal with immortality. Indeed, they may be the closest we will ever get to eternity.

The trú was a mythological trio of poet-musicians in ancient Ulster. They were revered throughout Ireland, some believing their songs and stories came to them from the future. Others maintained that the trú were possessed by spirits during performance. As such, they were considered gatekeepers to the Otherworld.

New album 'Eternity Near' out September 8th.

tru-music.com