Isthmus (album)

Isthmus was recorded after O'Muineachain returned to Ireland from the Czech Republic, and was inspired by the landscape of the Erris region.^[5] The album features field recordings and collaborations with cellist Akito Goto.^[6] The album had its radio premiere on The Stephen McCauley Show on BBC Radio Ulster on 30 August 2022.^[7] The lead single "Lost Fishermen" was broadcast on KEXP,^[8] An Taobh Tuathail,^[9] KXCI,^[10] BBC 6 Music,^[11] and Açık Radyo.^[12] The album premiered on It's Psychedelic Baby! Magazine on September 27.^[13]

Mike Mineo of Obscure Sound wrote: "There’s an immediate charm to the album’s scenic and lush composure."^[14] Nialler9 wrote that the album was "delicately poised and reflective in nature."^[15] Raffael Russo reviewed the album positively in the Italian music magazine Rockerilla.^[16] In their New and Notable section, the website Bandcamp wrote: "Seamus O’Muineachain takes us to his hometown of Belmullet, Ireland through patient, pensive ambient composition."^[17] Writing for Spectrum Culture, Pat Padua said "The EP takes less than 27 minutes to tell its story, but that brief time is used to communicate the patient appreciation of a dreamlike existence on the other side of the world."^[3] Simon Lewis of Ptolemaic Terrascope called the album "a gentle, unhurried set of songs which demand to be taken as a whole and when done so prove to be a balm for the soul."^[18] It was included on Star's End list of significant releases of 2022.^[19]