You can’t dispute the facts. Despite “critical darling” status evading The Coronas over the course of their 14-year career, the people have made them one of Ireland’s biggest bands.
The Dubliners' fifth album – written after returning from a four-year stay in London and a fruitless stint on a major label – is ergo pitched as taking a "new approach", although not much has changed sonically. Real Feel swerves into funk-hued 1980s pop, while Not What You Know builds to a soaring, singalong refrain and the perky Like It Used to Be takes its cue from Beatles-style pop with a side of the wistful melancholia that permeates most other songs.
It could do with a bit more dynamism woven into the tracklisting but this is a solid, if somewhat safe offering.
