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Tuesday January 2, 2008
Blarney Rock
Natural Mystic: Damien Dempsey
Joe Kavanagh concludes his review of the twenty best Irish Albums of the past year
Delorentos
In Love With Detail
This Dublin four-piece has enjoyed a remarkably successful year with the release of a debut album that has entirely vindicated all those that have championed the band as one of Ireland's best kept musical secrets. Well, the word is now out as Delorentos hugely effective power pop has won fans the world over and seen them deservedly ascend to the rank of Ireland's number one contender for 2008. Tracks like Leave It On, Basis Of Everyting and the superb Stop, bring to mind bands such as the Editors and Kings Of Leon, as well as acts such as The Smiths or, more precisely, Morrissey. Virtually every song is a veritable foot-tapper or leg-slapper, as the band bring heat, energy and enthusiasm in abundance. Highly infectious indie-rock at its best.
Hybrasil
The Monkey Pole
Some may view it as conceited to include a band that I am actually a member of in such a list, but given the fact that we have been posted on virtually every "best of" list in Ireland and the fact that we were one of only two Irish bands (along with The Thrills) to make the Sunday Times best albums of the year list; I think that our inclusion is entirely warranted. We like to refer to ourselves as a 21st Century rock n' roll band, and critics regularly compare us to Kasabian, New Order, Primal Scream and other like-minded electronic rock acts, where the musical emphasis is on getting you out on the dancefloor with a combination of big beats, snappy hooks and a determined effort to make music that is inherently happy. It's not all energy though, and we genuinely attempted to create something that is textured, moody and has a distinct flow running throughout. If you are looking for rock music inspired by club music then this is the album for you... and feel absolutely free to write in and tell me that it's total shite if you are so inclined.
Stanley Super 800
Louder & Clearer
Corks' Stanley Super 800 are almost as well known in Ireland for their traditional music side-project, Ceilidh Allstars, but they return with a timely reminder of just how good they are at their other job too. The follow-up to their eponymous debut album, Louder & Clearer offers an excellent example of a band that continues to mature as they explore different sonic landscapes, not unlike an Irish Super Furry Animals. Containing elements of indie, psychedelic and a hint of rock roots, the band's sound is characterized by jangling guitars, subtle melodies and enough imagination to make them almost defy convenient description. Hovering above this sonic compound is Stan O'Sullivan's incredibly distinct voice, which can sound somewhat like a drunken Tom Petty and is one of those "love it or hate it" affairs. For the record, I love it and sincerely believe that SS800 are one of the most underrated Irish bands around today.
The Flaws
Achieving Vagueness
Possibly the slickest album of the bunch, The Flaws came to the attention of the public early on when they were signed to a development deal with Polydor. Sadly - or not, depending on your point of view - the band were unceremoniously dropped halfway into recording their debut album. Crucially, the Monaghan outfit managed to maintain control of their recordings because the Irish rock music landscape is a better place for it. Some critics have accused the band of being a little "too 90s" but, truth is, their sound is as much inspired by 80s acts such as The Cure or Jesus And Mary Chain. No matter their origins, good music is good music irrespective of what decade it is attached to and with tracks like Sixteen and 1981, The Flaws are possibly only one appearance on a Grey's Anatomy episode away from making waves amongst the same fans that made Coldplay a household name.
Damien Dempsey
To Hell Or Barbados
When Damien Dempsey first emerged in 1995 with the rather dreadful, Dublin Town, he bore more resemblance to Bob Saget than Bob Marley, but four albums later I truly believe that the Donaghmede troubadour is one of the few artists in the world today that can faithfully lay claim to the legacy of the legendary Rastafarian singer. True, he may never have Marley's wonderful lyrical ability and his sometimes parochial subject matter may hinder his progress internationally, but there is a subtle righteousness, deep empathy and vigorous honesty about Dempsey's songwriting that stirs something deep within most psyches. If you don't believe me then just ask the thousands of raver/club kids that show up at his gigs and bellow each lyric with rapturous abandon, or even Bob Dylan who counts himself a huge fan. This latest work continues Dempsey's trend of growing with each album, as his reggae-folk adds a dash of electronica to the experience and his couplets become ever tighter. As always, it is the voice that elevates him above so many others, with each lyric given equal import, as each song is made cinematic by virtue of his evocative vocals. Excellent stuff.
Roisin Murphy
Overpowered
With the dissolution of Moloko just over four years ago, one might have imagined that Roisin Murphy's name would likely slip into musical oblivion. After all, her entire music career started when she stumbled up to producer, Mark Brydon, and muttered the now immortal cheesy chat-up line: "Do you like my tight sweater?" To her credit, Murphy has managed to stay relevant due to her 2005 debut album, Ruby Blue, which served as a powerful, if somewhat convoluted, opening shot in the next phase of her career. Now the Wicklow woman has returned with a collection of songs inspired by disco and early house music, which fully justifies EMI's laudable faith in her. Such is the strength of the album that virtually every track is a potential single, showcasing dance floor friendly pop given depth and pathos by Murphy's cerebral lyrics and Dusty Springfield-like vocals. Justin Timberlake may have laid claim to bringing sexy back, but the former boyband singer could only dream of doing so in the subtle and genuinely provocative terms in which Murphy has achieved. Genuinely powerful pop.
Hybrasil: Not From Brazil, But Definitely...
Kill City Defectors
Mutiny Sounds
This is probably the dark horse of the bunch, in the sense that is has traveled under the radar of even most of those in the Irish music media, which strikes me as a little peculiar given the overwhelmingly positive reception that the Kildare four-piece received with the low-key release of a couple of EPs over the past two years. In short, KCD's play funk with a heavy influence on the first three letters of the world, which is certainly not to say that it is without substance, because the album abounds with guile and a knack for knowing a good melody. It's definitely not all Parliament-inspired nu-funk however, with tracks like Messed Up, Sympathy Pains and others containing elements of punk rock, pop and techno music, as well as the band's own inherent quirkiness, which can often lead to unexpected breaks and asides that keep things moving nicely. Kind of like an Irish version of Ween, KCD's are certainly taking the path less traveled with an album that is both ambitious and imaginative but certainly never boring.
Mumblin' Deaf Ro'
The Herring And The Brine
Mumblin' Deaf Ro' is certainly not your garden variety artist. First there is his peculiar stage name (he was previously known as Johnny Horsebox), but as you look further, you realize that the man known by his mother as Ronan Hession, is one of those genuine eccentrics that the music world seems to produce regularly. The subject matter of his songs range from a ditty written from the point of view of a failed South American politician, to that of a failed priest and beyond, as he loquaciously throws up interesting characters, situations and insights in abundance. Then there is the music, which is uncool to the point of being cool, mixing elements of blues, lo-fi and shanty-singing to imaginative effect, giving it a palpable sense of freedom, as it treads lines traversing Captain Beefheart, Celitc mysticism and Nick Drake on Prozac. As if to illustrate the fact that this is something he just has to do to get it out of his system, Ro' has announced that his next album will definitely be his last (he has one other, Senor My Friend) and given his hatred of all things PR, this is not some stunt to sell records or achieve acclaim. Mumblin' Deaf Ro' doesn't care if you like his music but records like this mean a growing number of people will certainly miss him when he's gone.
Adrian Crowley
Long Distance Swimmer
For close to a decade, Galway man, Adrian Crowley, has struggled to survive as a musician, forging on with only the sparse support of a few devoted fans that have instilled in him the will to persevere since his 1999 debut, A Strange Kind. Even the most optimistic of those fans can hardly have imagined the quantum leap that Crowley would make with this effort, which puts him at the very forefront of Ireland's music scene, at the very least. Incorporating influences that range from Leonard Cohen to Pavement, Crowley will inevitably draw comparisons to fellow Irishman, Fionn Regan, but in truth the former has more than leapfrogged the Bray man in one fell swoop. Melancholic without ever being maudlin, supremely imaginative and at times just breathtakingly beautiful, this is one of the most compelling singer/songwriter albums that I have ever had the pleasure of listening to.
Nina Hynes & The Husbands
Really Really Do
Several years back, Nina Hynes was one of the hottest properties on the Irish rock scene, held in the same breath as Gemma Hayes and Julie Feeney when discussing Irish female artists on the brink of doing something special, but while the others went on to make waves in distant shores and were the toast of the media, Hynes appeared to vanish from whence she came. It has since been revealed that finances were the biggest reason for her hiatus, as she struggled mightily with debts incurred from earlier projects and fought valiantly to keep her career alive, an argument that sometimes took place inside her own head. I for one am very glad that she found it within herself to continue as Really Really Do, shows she really really does still have what made her such a hot prospect - and more. Her time away has obviously been spent wisely, as she returns with a work that brings to mind acts like Portishead, Lali Puna and other such artists who believe that nuance, mood and dynamics are everything. Conclusive proof that Nina Hynes still has much to give.
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