• James Vincent McMorrow – We Move

    September 1, 2016 - By 

    This being his third musical endeavour, Dubliner James Vincent Mcmorrow’s We Move is an exciting and re-energized collection brimming with eleven brilliant laid back grooves. His 2010 debut, Early In The Morning, served as a charming introduction to his style, his sombre tone slotting nicely into the indie folk genre, a record comprised of melancholic, angst-laden tracks. His 2013 neo-soul influenced follow-up however took an unsuspected turn, echoing elements of hip hop, electronica and R&B. What he would delve into after that was anyone’s guess. Having worked with major league producer Nineteen85, McMorrow manages to blend his original folk-inspired sound with something more unique. There’s a…

  • Wild Beasts – Boy King

    August 17, 2016 - By 

    Boy King, the fifth and arguably most accessible album from Wild Beasts proves that the UK art-pop quartet are, once again, making one hell of a grand statement. Having styled themselves as quite possibly the least laddish alternative rock outfit  around – sensitive, in touch with their feelings and disapproving of the brandish machismo that once encompassed the majority of British pop-rock groups – they have often used their energetic sound to strip back the notion of male sexuality in an attempt to reveal its hidden depths in a brilliantly comic fashion. Boy King is an album bursting with machine-fuelled funk. It takes an unsuspected turn, embracing…

  • Drown – Drown EP

    August 8, 2016 - By 

    Galway based experimental pop outfit Drown are set to drop their debut EP this month, a snappy four-track release that immediately beams with potential. The post-punk outfit were drawn together by their passion for experimental pop music, emerging with a punch towards the end of last year. Their sound however, suggests otherwise. Self-dubbed unintentional pop, the tracks appear heavily influenced by the more ethereal elements of 80s underground rock, drawing upon the likes of Sonic Youth and DIIV for inspiration. The release sees the five-piece noise outfit rebel against typical pop music, creating a sound that is intoxicating, honest and thought-provoking. Leavened melodies are carried by heavy angular guitar…

  • Dublin City Block Party 2016

    July 9, 2016 - By 

    With the summer calendar already bursting with an ever-growing number of Irish festivals, the ability to take festival goers somewhere new and exciting requires a pretty promising lineup as well as a distinctive and unique take on the conventional offering. Dublin City Block Party certainly delivered on both fronts with take two of their two day mid-summer blowout that took place right in the heart of the city at the Tivoli Grounds and District 8 last weekend. It has, in fact, taken me until now to finish this review having only just resurfaced after what can only be described as…

  • Goat – I Sing in Silence

    June 1, 2016 - By 

    Swedish masked-psychedelic collective Goat last Friday dropped their latest 7″ on Sub Pop. I Sing In Silence, a concise release featuring two brilliantly experimental tracks, demonstrates just how far the eccentric group have grown since their formation back in 2012. The offbeat group’s distinctive sound fuses together elements of afrobeat, rock and folk, incorporating tribal drums and chants to create an inventive fusion of world music. The visionary project embraces music and culture from all corners of the globe, bringing aspects of them all together to create an intoxicating, otherworldly sound. The experimental group claim that the project stems from a long-running collective of townspeople from their hometown…

  • I Have a Tribe – Beneath a Yellow Moon

    May 31, 2016 - By 

    Dubliner Patrick O’Laoghaire, better known as I Have A Tribe, last week released his long awaited debut album, Beneath A Yellow Moon, a stunningly imperfect indie-folk record, brimming with eleven brilliantly honest tracks. This intimate album comes as a follow up to 2015’s No Countries EP and upon a single listen it becomes clear that, even within such a brief timespan, O’Laoghaire’s songwriting has undoubtedly become so much more complex. The range of emotion he is now capable of evoking has grown extensively, now fully projecting the vibrant colours in his mind into the outside world, overshadowing his past two EPs and demonstrating his growth and brilliance as…

  • We Are Scientists – Helter Seltzer

    April 28, 2016 - By 

    Helter Seltzer, the fifth and by far the flashiest studio album from alt-pop duo We Are Scientists proves that Chris Cain and Keith Murray are back with a punch. Despite being prone to slip under the radar from time to time, the NYC-based duo manage to return with something bigger and better each time they resurface, staying true to their original and unique style, yet managing to reinvent certain aspects of their recognisable sound. The now veteran pair have been making music for over 14 years and despite sporting a little more grey hair and a lot more moustache action, they’ve aged…

  • Moderat – III

    April 4, 2016 - By 

    Moderat have successfully brought intense and authentic electronic music from Berlin to the far corners of the world. The trio, comprised of Sascha Ring (Apparat) and Modeselektor‘s Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary recently dropped their greatly anticipated third studio album. Initially it seemed that Apparat’s tricky electronics and fluttering propitious pop didn’t seem to fit naturally with Modeselektor’s almost jungle-style, glitch-hop made up of wobbly salves and offbeat, all-consuming synths. However, the three musicians have stood at the forefront of creating something new, developing a unique and offbeat minimal techno and electronic sound that has grown massively over the past few years. Moderat’s first, self-titled album saw the musicians…