Towards the start of last year, I completed a round-up review based on Irish bands and artists. After visiting the Emerald Isle recently, I decided it would be a good time to revisit the review. All the acts featured on this list make music from different genres and styles, so there should be something suitable for every taste!
Review by Jane Howkins
Photo by Sistir
Sistir – Bridge
First up is the track bridge by Sistir – this song is also the title track from her debut EP, bridge. The song starts out slowly, with some pretty piano chords providing the main instrumentation. Sistir has a fantastic singing voice, sounding incredibly clear throughout. The song slowly builds up as the beat kicks in, raising the tension nicely. When the synths come to prominence during the second half, they bubble along nicely in the background, providing a touch more variety to this amazing piece of work.
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Torpey – Why Won’t The World Stop Turning?
County Clare artist Torpey brings an acoustic sound to this list on his latest release, Why Won’t The World Stop Turning? The first thing apparent is how amazing Torpey’s vocals are, full of soul and clarity throughout this amazing track. The acoustic guitars sound lovely as they’re strummed, with occasional electric guitar and piano motifs appearing at times too. The music has a really nice sound, as the production has been perfectly crafted. Despite the melancholic lyrics, the music itself is rather upbeat, perfect for relaxing to.
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Miranda Faul – Renegade
Miranda Faul is a singer-songwriter based in Dublin – despite only being 22, she’s incredibly talented, showing great promise for the future. Renegade is a subtle modern folk song with quite a minimalist quality. The main instrumentation comes from a strummed acoustic guitar melody, with some piano notes added at times too. Miranda has a gorgeous voice that is full of heart and soul, adding a lot of light to this wonderful tune. It makes for a truly perfect listen if you like your folk music.
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Moon Landing – A Lack of Natural Light
23 year old, multi-instrumentalist Jake McCrea has created something of wonder with his new project Moon Landing. A Lack of Natural Light is an alt rock song that also adds quite a folky vibe into the mix. It starts out slowly with a pretty guitar arpeggio, as a set of strings appear in the background. The song soon descends into more of a rocker, raising the tension up nicely as the orchestral elements create a gorgeous crescendo of sounds. Jake’s vocals glide away in the background, soaring in lovely style over the music. It really is a beautiful track to behold!
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Adam O’Rua – Rainfall
Rainfall is one of the most unique tracks on this list. It starts out with some spoken vocals performed by Adam O’Rua himself, before some ethereal synth chords arrive. Occasional piano and percussion flourishes can be heard in the background, making it sound very 80s at times! There are some stormy backing effects used at times, keeping your interest constantly piqued! Adam has a really great range, crooning away in a soulful way on this track. It won’t be for everyone, but give it a go and you might fall in love!
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Scoth – Hopeless Tourist
Scoth describe themselves as an ethereal folk band, and that’s very close to the truth! Hopeless Tourist sounds haunting from the very start, opening with a gorgeous acoustic guitar melody. The vocals appear soon after, having a really beautiful tone to them. A little flute melody can be heard in the background at times, creating another luscious layer to this tune. It’s quite understated, but there’s no denying it’s an amazing track to behold. Just listen to the way those harmonies sound on the chorus!
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Onion Boys – Daddy’s Arms
Daddy’s Arms is one of the most unique tracks on this list, both in terms of the music and the lyrical content. Onion Boys’ song opens with some eccentric vocal lines, which continue throughout the track. It’s an indie rock song of sorts, although I also felt that there was something of an old school rock and roll vibe – particularly with the way the rhythm works. The verses are rather groovy, seeing the bassline moving nicely against the guitars. The chorus increases the energy massively, creating something you can really sing along to.
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Jam Hades – The Edge
Dublin three piece Jam Hades have just released their long-awaited debt album The Edge of Regret – The Edge is a perfect snippet from the album. It’s another track that is reminiscent of the 1950s and 1960s rock and roll scene, featuring a waltzy rhythm and a crooning vocal style. The production is a little raw at times, but it works well with the themes and genre the band are trying to portray. The brass instrumentation in the background adds another divergent touch, colliding perfectly with the drums to create something that will have you tapping your feet along in no time.
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Wise Up – Nostalgia
Nostalgia has a typical grungy/alt-rock sound when it first opens, although it turns into more of a dream-pop song as it continues, showing Wise Up has a lot of different influences! The vocals sound pure and ethereal at times, especially when the backing vocals chime in. The production is a little raw, but it really works – especially when the buzzsaw guitars kick in, adding a cool selection of garage rock guitar riffs into the fold. The different vocal lines used on the parts of the song make it sound really cool too, adding more variety to the piece.
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Japanese Jesus – Tension
If you like your music on the heavier side of things, two-piece band Japanese Jesus is for you! It’s a wonder that two people have managed to create something with this much energy, but Tension sounds absolutely epic! Huge riffs collide with a smashing percussion section to craft a track that really makes you want to bang your head along at high speed! The vocals are shouted in a punky way on this rocker, suiting the style of track well. It won’t be for everyone, but those into their hardcore punk should get a kick out of this.
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Spearside – Not Up to Much
Not Up to Much is another rocker, although it’s not quite as heavy as the previous song on this list. Spearside combine elements of indie, alt rock and pop-punk into one delectable package, perfectly suited for your listening pleasure. The song is incredibly catchy, seeing a slew of jangly guitar melodies running through the music in perfect style. The chorus changes things slightly, making it a little heavier, before the poppier verse kicks back in again. This is a great throwback song, very reminiscent of 90s rock music.
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Patryk Kania – Pearls
Patryk Kania is actually from Poland, however he is currently based in Belfast. Pearls is a dreamy pop song that sounds very unique in this day and age. The piano has something of an 80s vibe, mixing well with the ethereal quality Patryk has created here. His vocals are quite soft, with a distinctive tone that will make you fall in love with the music straight away. A steady beat kicks in after a while, as more and more electronic elements are added, making for a track that truly bends genres! It won’t be for everyone, but those that take the time to get to know Patryk’s music should love this.
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SWEETS – Dead Ends
SWEETS is an alternative rock band from Limerick, bringing a little more energy to this list. Dead Ends sounds immense from the very start, opening with a huge drum beat and a killer buzzsaw guitar riff. It’s enough to make you want to bang your head along in time to this heavy rocker. The vocals are a little distant sounding in the mix, but they actually work quite well in amongst the rest of the music. The track never lets up, with the music providing a full frontal assault on the senses that is ultimately quite satisfying.
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WhiteRoomNightmare – What You’re Made Of
WhiteRoomNightmare is a musical project from Belfast, with What You’re Made Of being their latest single release. Like the previous song on this list, it sounds absolutely huge, with a frantic rhythm section mixing well with the brash guitars. The vocals have a harmonised sort of sound, drifting through the music in a fabulous way. It all sounds very tight and technically proficient, showing some fantastic songwriting skills. This is a rock and roll tune for those who like their rock a little different from the norm.
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The Art Crimes Band – In the Dark of the Evening
Cork band The Art Crimes Band is an act we’ve featured a few times before, so it’s great to welcome them back with In the Dark of the Evening. It’s quite a jazzy tune, mixed in with some pop, soul and r&b, making for an immense mix of sounds! The vocals are particularly strong, running through the piece with a soulful ease. The music is rather catchy, yet it never sounds too mainstream -which is definitely a plus for me! If you’ve not checked The Art Crimes Band out yet, you need to listen to this song!
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Pinsleep – Styrofoam Ball
Styrofoam Ball opens with sound of seagulls, before a pretty arpeggio kicks in. The song slowly builds up over time, sounding gorgeous as the different elements combine together in a stylistic way. Pinsleep has created something of beauty here – particularly in the way the different string instruments meld in with the electronic beat. I love music that crosses genre-boundaries, and this is one track that does it really well. It’s a little quirky sounding, but it’s great to hear something different to the stuff you normally hear on the radio.
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Podge Lane – Change In The Weather
Podge Lane is an alt-country/folk singer-songwriter that we’ve featured before – his track Change In The Weather is another beautiful modern folk tune. The first thing that struck me about this song was how powerful the vocals sound – you can really feel the emotion in the heartfelt way Podge sings. The instrumentation is provided by little guitar and piano motifs, alongside a rhythm section – the drum section that appears about a quarter of the way in sounds very unique! It’s a lovely tune and one suitable for those into their roots music.
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