The End of History (Bonus Track Version)

Less a debut album than an introductory note to a young recording artist who has plenty of options on the table, The End of History is a deliberately stark, acoustic offering that sounds more like a field recording than a finished studio master. This sketchbook approach, mixed by the Cocteau Twins’ Simon Raymonde whose Bella Union label released the album in the UK, makes for intriguing intimacy, concentrating all focus on the young Irish troubadour’s whispered vocals and his various lyrical approaches. Eventually, Regan will need to shuffle the deck with more elaborate arrangements, but here he manages to hold the intensity as he ranges from the detail-oriented “Put a Penny in the Slot” to the impressionistic vagueness of “Hunters Map,” recalling the softer sides of Ray LaMontagne and fellow countryman Damien Rice. Strings and vibes tastefully augment “The Underwood Typewriter” and piano supports “Blackwater Child” suggesting Regan will eventually take his raw, folk beginnings and style them towards slightly more manicured chamber pop.