The Purty Loft in Dun Laoghaire is enjoying a derserved renaissance and Dublin singer/songwriter Hamlet Sweeney, together with his band The Handsome Strangers, took up residency there last week (14 May) for four Thursdays of free entertainment. Returning to music making after a five-year hiatus, Hamlet is at home in front of a crowd: teasing and bantering with his band; encouraging audience members to sing along or play percussion instruments; charming every room he plays to with his soulful songs. The stories he tells are full of the kind of characters we can all recognise and Hamlet doesn’t flinch in bringing us face to face with life in all its whimsy and charm. While his recent recordings, his first in 6 years, were produced by Karl Odlum & mastered in Abbey rd, it’s still live onstage that Hamlet’s true quality shines. His songs span a wide variety of styles and cover topics such as weather, sex and wanna-ba rockstars all delivered with exuburant warmth and humurous banter beween songs.

Having already headlined Whelan’s main room twice this year, you can be sure that you will be hearing the distinctive name of Hamlet Sweeney a whole lot more. Catch him live in The Purty for these free shows with his backing band The Handsome Strangers.