Here's what our critics are recommending. Houston Chronicle Contributor December 22, 2020Updated: December 24, 2020, 9:58 am The South African performer Sun-El Musician Photo: El-World 1. Pat Byrne A native of Ireland, singer-songwriter Pat Byrne settled in Texas a few years ago, looking to make inroads in a place where some of his songwriting heroes — guys like Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark — came from. His move has been great for Houston because Byrne cycles through town every few months to sing his songs with his soulful, gritty voice, doing originals and a few choice covers that suggest he’s learning from the best. Often the week between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve can be a bit of an entertainment dead zone. Byrne is the kind of mesmerizing performer who can warm up those cold days.