Galway-based singer-songwriter, Paul Mulligan, may not be a name that's familiar to many, but it's pretty certain that many will be familiar with the name of John Prine who contributes vocals and guitar to a couple of tracks on Strong Friend -- one of which is Prine's own song "Aimless Love."

You can possibly imagine what Strong Friend might sound like just from that opening paragraph. Mulligan brings his easy, story-telling into a predominately acoustic musical setting that draws subtly on both his native Irish tradition and the American country influences that one might associate with Prine. Of his fellow countrymen, Mulligan is probably closest in style to Christy Hennessy in both the personal, reflective nature of his lyrics and the delicate, sensitive delivery of his vocals.

The album opens with Mulligan reflecting on his first car, a 1969 blue Ford Cortina -- looking back on teenage dreams but ending rather unfortunately; "that tractor and trailer that came out of nowhere / and turned my Cortina into a concertina." Shame! One imagines that when Mulligan sings of crying "as they towed her away," that the lost dreams weighed heavy on his mind even more than the lost automobile!

"My Time Is Not My Own" finds Mulligan wearily pondering the frustrations of modern life and the associated demands on your time. The final verse opens with a sentiment that many of us can probably relate to; "I'm gonna wake up Sunday Morning / I might just disappear / Become a mountaineer / Get far away from here / Don't forget your phone / 'Cause your time is not your own."

The two duets with John Prine are particularly enjoyable; Prine's ragged voice being the perfect foil for Mulligan's smoother sound. The pedal steel is deployed on both occasions to lend that beautiful lonesome sound.

Strong Friend is a beautifully understated collection of dreams gone by and the usual unrest with everyday life. The songs are both penned and delivered with poise and sensitivity, asking the right questions and tugging at the right heartstrings.