Róisín O – Give It Up
The new single from Mary Black's daughter was written by her brother in The Coronas, Danny O'Reilly, and her bandmate John Broe. It brandishes a laser-pointed sound for the musician that means it's O'Reilly's most powerhouse pop song yet.
The Wood Burning Savages – We Love You
The Derry band are in fine fettle on this breakneck rock song which bolts on catchy guitar riffs and sing-along choruses in under three minutes. Short, sharp and savage.
Cut Once – Crave
Dublin electronic duo Michael Heffernan and Aisling Browne, AKA Cut Once, hit a career high with Crave, their fourth single that has a foreboding pulsing rhythm and reaches for an 80s style chorus line.
AikJ – Suite Life
From the Word Up Collective, R&B singer AikJ drops some sweet grooves on this summer jammin' new single that recalls some laidback uptown funk.
ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Overhead, The Albatross – Learning To Growl
Post-rock bands were a dime a dozen on Irish soil in the last decade but in the last few years, a lot have fallen by the wayside or moved on from instrumental to vocally-provisioned songs (Enemies, And So I Watch You From Afar). What are left are the stalwarts. God Is An Astronaut are a touring act of international persuasion, and right behind them are Overhead..., who have established themselves as a live act of some repute.
Their debut album largely confirms what anyone who has seen them live can testify to; this is a band at home making grand instrumental rock music, bolstered by stringed instruments, expressive piano, a touch of electronic atmospherics and bursting drums.
The peaks and troughs might feel a tad predictable at times to enthusiasts but there's no doubting Overhead, The Albatross' commitment to creating this sound.
NEW ARTIST OF THE WEEK
Dusty Residents
Irish hip-hop continues to impress with increased regularity. The Dublin duo of rapper Bradshaw and producer Taaffeman claim they have “the industry bickering / your best mate listening” but they might not be fair off if they continue the form they display throughout their second album, three years in the making.
Over the course of the album's 13 tracks, the duo create a confident and vivid sound, that is densely electronic; clearly Irish and draws from guests like Funzo, Ollie Bell, beatsmith, GI and production from Jackknife J. Ones to be encouraged.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Pretty Beast – Afraid To Remember
Directed: Doug Farra, House of DON Productions
Irish band Pretty Beast's new single is concerned with a character that does violent things for a living. The band commissioned an American production company to make a video for the track, which puts that character into a thoroughly modern position of military warfare drone technician and has him deal with the consequences in his own life.
Pretty Beast play The Grand Social, Dublin this Friday night, May 13th with support from This Other Kingdom and Farah Elle.
