With his latest release, “All In Good Time,” Irish artist Ultan channels the raw energy of creative struggle into an anthemic rock track that’s deeply personal and universally relatable. Born from the ashes of abandoned video projects and the frustration of missed expectations, the song captures the emotional whiplash of the creative process and, by extension, life itself. It’s about the ongoing cycle of setback and resolve that defines what it means to keep going.
From the opening bars, the track’s central riff grabs your attention with a swaggering confidence, with the kind of spontaneous hook that feels plucked from the ether rather than built from logic. There’s a looseness to the rhythm that keeps things grounded, yet propulsive. As the song builds into its chorus, Ultan leans into a soaring vocal delivery, rich with grit and defiance. The lyrics are sharp without being bitter, hopeful without being naïve. “You only lose when you surrender”, a mantra, delivered with conviction.
Sonically, “All In Good Time” lands somewhere between the classic punch of ’90s alt-rock and the introspective heart of singer-songwriter tradition. There’s a lived-in warmth to the production, a sense that every note has been earned. Nothing here is overproduced or flashy, and it makes it land so authentically. Ultan knows when to push forward and hold back, giving the song its emotional ebb and flow. The guitar work is particularly notable for its blend of texture and melody, never crowding the vocals, but always in conversation with them.
What’s especially compelling is that the song is the journey. You can hear the bruises in Ultan’s voice, the hard-won clarity that only comes from pushing through disappointment. There’s a cathartic undercurrent that courses through every verse and chorus — the feeling of standing back up, not just for the sake of it, but because there’s still something worth fighting for. In a culture addicted to instant gratification, “All In Good Time” is a powerful reminder that good things take time and that delays don’t mean defeat.
Ultimately, Ultan has crafted a message. “All In Good Time” resonates not because it preaches perfection, but honours the messy, unglamorous truth of perseverance. It’s a song for anyone who felt like giving up but didn’t. And in that way, it feels like a small act of rebellion with a triumphant shout into the void that says: I’m still here, and I’m still trying.
Connect with Ultan on Spotify, Bandcamp, Soundcloud and YouTube.