Thinkerrs: Black Dog

Black Dog
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Artist: Thinkerrs
Genre: Alternative
Label: Laredo Records

Are Thinkerrs named for their ability to get your cogs whirring, or for their aptitude for lyrically dense, often abstract songs? Their second album suggests both. The Dublin-via-Mayo sextet may become a little bogged down in their apparent desire for eclecticism, but when they find a consistency they're quite enjoyable. Some tracks are in thrall to Nick Cave's dark, squally rock (Bloodlet, Quantum Universe); others have a lighter, Van Morrison-esque cadence (April, Until the Dawn). Highlight Forgive & Forget pings with a twee indiepop bounce, while Bloodlet, with its ominous tone and reference to a "sacrificial knife", could almost pass for an acoustic metal track. The convergence of sounds means that Black Dog is a little untidy stylistically, but there is enough to keep the synapses firing for the most part. facebook.com/thinkerrsband
Download: Quantum Universe, Forgive & Forget

Lauren Murphy

Lauren Murphy

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