Limerick's rock history doesn't start and end with The Cranberries as far as Senakah are concerned, although the quartet did bring in former Cranberries guitarist Noel Hogan to produce their second album. Hogan does a sterling job with this well-paced tracklisting, its sturdily constructed songs packed with melody and Rob Hope's impressive vocal range. If there's a defect to Senekah's upbeat pop-rock, it is their reliance on dated 1990s rock as an influence; the jerky chug of Stronghold suggests Placebo's lighter moments, while the beefy My Prime evokes Pearl Jam. Much of Human Relations is a bit too predictable, with its slow-building verses leading to surging choruses. Still, the tuneful progression of the title track and the jaunty male/female vocal exchange of the Deacon Blue-like Training Wheels makes the album difficult to dislike.
Senakah.ie
Download: Human Relations, Syncing