TLMT looks back at the last four weeks to pick out some of the stand-out tracks coming out of Ireland featuring Lyra, Sinead O’Brien, Lilla Vargen, Toygirl, Siights, David Keenan & more.
Careerist – Slasher
The Mixed-Tape: “ Careerist, formally Hot Cops, have given their first glimpse into the group’s upcoming album Weird Hill with the brand new single ‘Slasher’, a joyously jangled indie-pop gem that weaves with angular guitar melodies and off-kilter vocal twists.”
The Wha – Innocents
A short sharp firecracker of a track, ‘Innocents’ blends new wave and indie-pop into a melodically rich offering The Wha.
Lankum – Wild Rover
Lankum return with the promise of a new album entitled The Livelong Day and a new single in the form of a haunting re-imaging of ‘Wild Rover’. Tense, sprawling and deeply atmospheric, Lankum’s latest release is a captivating one.
Paddy Mulcahy – How To Disappear
An ambitious, all-encompassing music lies at the heart of Paddy Mulcahy’s ‘How To Disappear’. A song that undulates sonically as it moves from large-scale sounds to intimate pops and clicks.
Alana Henderson featuring Joshua Burnside – On Board
A beautifully set offering from Alana Henderson, ‘On Board’ creates a world of its own through impressionistic lyrics, gently swaying indie-folk production and a texturally deep backdrop that draws you ever closer in to the music.
1000 Beats + Elkin – Fall So Easy
‘Fall So Easy’ finds Elkin and 1000 Beasts collaborating on a heart-wrenching track that carries with it a fully engrossing sound that gradually moves from serene to dynamically washing passages and back again.
Orla Gartland – Did It To Myself
A jolting, harmony-rich sound weaves itself around Orla Gartland’s intricate new single ‘Did It To Myself’. A song that powerfully moves to a strong backbone beat.
Ehco – Cabin (Wish I Coulda)
With a soundscape that covers the sonic spectrum, Ehco’s ‘Cabin (Wish I Coulda)’ builds to a instantly infectious beat and vocal that contrasts the distant textural backdrop with a lush, immediate sound.
Lyra – Mother
The Mixed-Tape: ‘Mother’ is an instantly sonically striking offering from Lyra. Built upon an ambitious pop epicness, the track moves from large-scale highly-stylised passages of percussive power to swirling moments of calm that are lead by Lyra’s hauntingly imposing vocal.
Toygirl – Reign
The debut single from Toygirl, ‘Reign’ is a deep dive into a texturally lush sound that blends alt-pop and neo-soul into a fully-realized production to powerful effect.
David Keenan – Tin Pan Alley
David Keenan returns with yet another intricately woven story told through a music that is instantly captivating and evokes emotion via Keenan’s heart-wrenching vocal delivery.
Squarehead – Maybe
A tightly woven backdrop of weaving guitars and jolting beats makes for a engrossing listen from Squarehead that moves from quite stop/start verse to all-in anthemic choruses.
Meghan Murray – Tell Me
Set to a deep minimalist beat, the alt-pop sound of ‘Tell Me’ takes centre-stage in Meghan Murray’s debut E.P. Out Of Mind as subtle slice of songwriting and pin-point production.
Moncrieff – Like I Do
There can be no doubting the ambition behind Moncrieff’s ‘Like I Do’, as the promising rising artist delivers a powerful sound that swings for the fences in its pop aspirations.
Sons Of Burlap – Caravan
With a music full of joie de vivre, vibrant musicality and infectious up-tempo beats, the genre melding sound of Sons of Burlap’s ‘Caravan’ is a pleasure to listen to.
Lilla Vargen – Why Wait
The Mixed-Tape: “ A dreamlike journey into the powerfully emotive music of Lilla Vargen, ‘Why Wait’ moves and shifts in a great wide-open production that places the intimacy of Vargen’s songwriting and performance in the soundscape that mirrors the pathos of the music itself.”
Sinead O’Brien – A Thing You Call Joy
From its unrelenting rhythm to a turbulent undercurrent of post-punk influenced sounds and a vocal that dominates the foreground and your attention with pin-point delivery, Sinead O’Brien’s ‘A Thing You Call Joy’ is brilliantly singular release that lives in a world of its own creation.
Sprints – The Cheek
A bone-rattling garage-pop gem, ‘The Cheek’ finds Sprints delivering a short sharp shock of track filled with intensity and ragged glory.
Rachael Lavelle – Perpetual Party
A deep, dark dive into an abstract and haunting new offering from Rachael Lavelle, ‘Perpetual Party’ is drenched in obscured sounds, minimalist beats and foreboding vocals that sore above a texturally dense landscape.
Kitt Philippa – Fahrenheit
Kitt Philippa returns with the reverb and atmosphere soaked ‘Fahrenheit’, a song populated by subtle, sparse sounds that intertwining and undulate beneath Philippa’s powerfully emotive vocal.
Siights – Shoulda Been
A hook rich offering from Siights, ‘Shoulda Been’ is a vividly set track that finds the duo creating a sound that moves from R&B to pop in a blink of an eye with vocals that weave from one to the other with ease and a production that matches the ambition.
Dashoda – 38 Long
A vivid synth-pop inflected track, Dashoda’s ’38 Long’ swaps jangled guitar rhythms for lush electro sounds intermittently as the music moves to an infectious pulse.
MuRli – Illegible
A sonically heavy beat lies behind MuRli’s solo offering ‘Illegible’ as the music portrays an urgency that feels frantic and vital to listen to as he delivers quick-snap verses around the jolting guitars and deep bass.
Skinner – Slouch
Set to an unrelenting alt-rock beat, angular guitars and a vocal that changes from nihilistic to manic with a twist, Skinner’s ‘Slouch’ is a dynamically shuddering offering that’s compelling to listen to.
New Pagans – Charlie Has The Face Of A Saint
The Mixed-Tape: New Pagans return with the angular alt-rock of ‘Charlie Has The Face Of A Saint’, a song fueled by a pounding beat, dynamic guitar lines and a vocal that portrays the frustration and malaise through the peaks and troughs of the song itself.
Just Mustard – Seven
The ongoing metamorphosis of Just Mustard arises once more in the shape of the viscerally contorting sound of ‘Seven’ as the band use the clashing soaring atmospheric vocals and brooding underbelly of their music to outstanding effect against a crisp production that gives added power to their overall sound.
Slaney – 83
A big, bright vivid slice of indie-pop Slaney’s ’83’ is a refreshing listen that weaves rhythmically rich beats and shimmering guitar lines into a vibrant mix of sounds.
Sacred Animals – Mono
Set to a forward moving backdrop the urgency and serenity that lay at the heart of Sacred Animals’ new single ‘Mono’ makes for a truly compelling listen.
Havvk – 52
Portrayed a tense atmosphere, Havvk’s latest offering comes in the form the of knife-edge and ominous sound of ’52’ that plays with harsh and gentle dynamics throughout.
Girl Band – Salmon of Knowlege
Appearing at the midway point of Girl Band’s stunning sophomore album The Talkies (read TLTM’s full review – here) ‘Salmon of Knowledge’ is a screaming, screeching track that runs the full spectrum of dynamics whilst never losing the in-built sense of foreboding that runs through its parent record.
Caoilian Sherlock – Shades of You
A texturally strong outing, ‘Shades of You’ finds Caoilian Sherlock delving into lo-fi indie-pop with a clarity and ease that makes for an infectious listen from beginning to end.
Super Silly – White Wine
Brimming with sonically twisting beats and melodies, Super Silly’s ‘White Wine’ is thrill to listen to as it changes feel and mood in the blink of an eye.
Chanele McGuinness – Powerless
A subtle and disarmingly raw return from Chanele McGuinness, ‘Powerless’ is cast across a stark minimal canvas that allows the performance and music say it all.
Columbia Mills – Strange Game
The Mixed-Tape: Set to a weighty propellant beat, shimmering guitar melodies and an emotionally pointed vocal, ‘Strange Game’ finds Columbia Mills delivering their characteristically dynamically impactful music across a sprawling production that enthrals from start to finish.
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