Gone be with the days when contemporary Irish music was exemplified by the cliche of a singer-songwriter sitting on a barstool; either filling multiple nights in the Olympia, or boring the arse off three people and a dog.
Variety is the spice of life with genre diversification pumping the life blood into Irish music in 2019. ZASKA, aka Wicklow native with a German background Max Zaska, heads a collective to prove that even Irish men and women can do funk, jazz and RnB, or as Zaska calls it, "future soul."
The poster boy of modern Irish music, Hozier, plus members of Wyvern Lingo, Little Green Cars, and BARQ, have all contributed to the Zaska funk n' soul party in recent years.
It Takes a Village starts with a hilarious intro, casting Zaska as a Prince style maestro guitarist and funk demi-god. This album has a refreshing sense of fun and mischief, but isn't afraid to go deep.
It's Ridiculous featuring Louise Gaffney is pertinent social commentary dressed up as funky pop song that the Republic of Loose would be proud of. "The human race down on their knees in the name of profit," Gaffney sings. Not everything hits the calibre of this bittersweet spot, but Max Zaska and friends show how it's done.
