Revelino review – How has Dublin indie darlings’ eponymous 1994 debut aged?

Arguably not too well, though there’s plenty to stir the spirit on reissued vinyl

Revelino
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Artist: Revelino
Genre: Rock
Label: Mercenary Records

At one point in the mid-1990s, Revelino were the critical darlings of Ireland’s indie music scene. Like many other bands at that time, the Dubliners surfed the remnants of the Britpop wave that seeped across the Irish Sea and earned some well-deserved kudos for their considered indie-rock output.

At least, the first of their three albums did. Almost 26 years to the day after their debut was released, Revelino are reissuing their eponymous record on vinyl. For those who were around for the band’s first flush of youth, there’s no doubt that this collection will be both a gratifying nostalgia trip and an essential addition to their record crate. Or, if you were previously unaware of Revelino’s charms – or if you’re not predisposed to 1990s indie – you might find that their sound arguably hasn’t aged too well.

Despite that, there's plenty to stir the spirit here: the gloomy twang and surging chorus of Happiness of Mine; the sunny-day Britpop vibe of Hello and the zig-zagging, no-nonsense riffage of World Going Down. Taking Turns nods to the thoughtful brand of jangle-pop peddled by the likes of Lloyd Cole in the 1980s, while Libertine pings with a louche sophistication, like The Bluetones fronted by Mick Jagger.

It’s unlikely that this reissue will double Revelino’s fan base overnight, but there’s plenty of entertaining moments to make it worthy of a spin.

Lauren Murphy

Lauren Murphy

Lauren Murphy is a freelance journalist and broadcaster. She writes about music and the arts for The Irish Times