"John Blek is Ireland's best kept secret" The Irish Times
Cheer Up is the deeply personal and beautifully written new long player from Ireland’s best kept songwriting secret John Blek.
With no sign of letting up the ever prolific and masterful John Blek brings us his ninth studio album. Cheer Up is a powerful reflection on the singer/songwriter's life. Lyrically demonstrating his personal growth while sonically showing his musical evolution. To some this may seem like a stylistic departure to others it’s the natural next step.
The album features performances from Dutch three piece harmony group Woolf and the Dresden based Broken Strings. It was recorded at Wavefield Recordings, Clonakilty, Co. Cork and was co-produced with John’s regular collaborator Brian Casey.
Blek is an artist with a story to tell. With his timeless emotive voice and layered fingerstyle guitar you will be transported from scene to scene as his expansive songbook unfolds.
John Blek is Cork City born and bred currently residing only a mile or two from his childhood home but listening to his music you can hear the influence of travel and experience. His parents, both of whom were primary school teachers, had to bribe him to stay in school after his 16th birthday with the promise of a new guitar on the completion of his final exams. Such was John’s belief in his ability and chosen path in life that he was willing to forgo the more traditional education sought by his peers. This conviction carries through to his art. His music is written from such a personal place that it creates the sense that he grew up with these songs, that they are in his blood – and in a way he did, they are his thoughts, his words, his sounds and his stories. Though not all autobiographical, like many of the great painters, an element of the artist exists in every portrait.
WOOLF are three voices that sound like one. Think of a female version of Crosby, Stills & Nash, seen through a modern lens, with the same ability to stir emotions and awaken the heart from its apathetic slumber. Three voices that blend seamlessly, creating a serenity that often evolves into a raw, feminine roar.
Ellen, Mylène, and Marieke met at the Conservatory of Amsterdam and quickly realized that their musical bond was something special—a near-bloodlike harmony achieved by three singers who aren’t related. WOOLF was formed in 2017.
After releasing several well-received EPs, WOOLF released their debut album Let Me In in 2024.
On the album, WOOLF sings compelling, deeply felt songs, with production and atmosphere reminiscent of artists like Ethan Gruska, Phoebe Bridgers, and The Staves. The warm vocals of WOOLF take center stage on this album. The three singers and songwriters effortlessly alternate between biting dissonance and clear harmonies in lyrics about connection, longing, and freedom.