Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
LOCAL MUSIC OF 2018
- Mid mid of Leon. e about as Snow d who s and are r the made of the gainst the very spirit of this weekly column, t to shine a light on the new and shiny. But e album I’ve gone back to the most, a ollection of songs that offer something new en. Various traumas contributed to d there’s heartache and optimism in equal th Gary Lightbody enjoying a songwriting he lyrics, the production, the adventure - it’s e hoped for (and deserved) after waiting ars. e on Earth’ - the album’s defiant overture, is y - the band’s finest moment. Ever. FOR FANS OF - Squarepusher, The Orb. Whether it’s a reflection of our musical society here - or if there’s just something in the water - the stand out Irish albums of 2018 are - mostly - a little warped and weird. Ryan Vail leads the way - making dark and wonky synth driven electronica. Wobbly bass and 120bpm pounding beats make this club friendly on paper - but in reality it’s the soundtrack to an apocalyptic afterparty, still going a long time after everyone should have headed home. Also, for an album with such a ’big’ sound, it’s incredibly delicate throughout. LISTEN TO - ‘Distorting’ is quiet strings and lo-fi recordings and thus not indicative of the album at all. It’s also very beautiful indeed. FOR FANS OF - Boards of Canada, Aphex Twin. It didn’t make sense that Herb Magee - who we knew for his noisy guitar with Lafaro and the like - would suddenly reinvent himself as a purveyor of glitchy, minimal electronica - let alone a man responsible for two of the finest instrumental records of the last few years. ‘II’ flits between the atmospheric and the banging - always paranoid and vaguely uneasy, never quite finding the light. The intensity refuses lets up on an album like no other. LISTEN TO: ‘D a N S E’ offers a little bit of everything - one for both the club and the inevitable crash afterwards. FOR FANS OF - Fleet
Foxes, Laura Marling.
The quietest, most understated album on this list - but the type of record that grows and grows into something very special. Derry journeyman and longtime member of the awesome Ports has always soared while recording on his own - and this is his most impressive album to date. The lyrics, the arrangements and the piano / guitar playing is always thoughtful and consistently beautiful, creating a quiet riot and a late - and unlikely contender for the most memorable album of the year.
LISTEN TO: Opener ‘Falls to Ground’ has a detailed - but never fussy piano refrain - which I’ve seen him replicate live. Remarkable. FOR FANS OF - The Smyths, The Killers. While other bands of a certain vintage go in and out of fashion - or disappear entirely before reappearing to tour their one big album following an unexpected tax bill - Ash have remained consistently brilliant for almost three decades. ‘Islands’ saw their solid fanbase inflate in 2018 - an all-killer-no-filler type of album which roars from start to finish, Tim Wheeler refusing to write a dud. They were helped by numerous busy tours and a show stopping appearance at The Biggest Weekend, during which they were joined by The Undertones - who featured on awesome lead single ‘Buzzkill’.
LISTEN TO: ‘Incoming Waves’, the weird little gem with the wonky piano line. FOR FANS OF early Beatles, The
Undertones
Sibling duo
Lauren and Taylor are good people
- and hugely engaging in interviews and onstage - but this record needed to lift them beyond their reputation as simply likeable. Thankfully, it does that - and much more. Brand New Friend have a knack for a hook - and the album is loaded with killer choruses, riff driven euphoria and boundless fun. The album we needed in 2018.
LISTEN TO - ‘Milk Chews’ is a moment of relative calm, all sweet lyrics and a killer baseline. FOR FANS OF early Manic Street
Preachers, The
Clash.
While we do angry well in Northern
Ireland - it’s been a while since we’ve had a truly angsty record. Step forward the Wood Burning Savages - who are reflecting the bewildering political and social landscape both at home and across the world, rising up and speaking out. Without melody and killer choruses however, a band like this would just sound preachy. Thankfully that’s not an issue, as ’Stability’ is pop punk gems from start to finish - a fun listen with defiant messages.
LISTEN TO - Snarling opener ‘I Don’t Know Why I Do it to Myself’ sets the scene nicely. FOR FANS OF - Ludovico Einaudi, any decent movie soundtrack. Derry multiinstrumentalist Eoin O’callaghan has never known what to be at, introducing himself with piano pop as Best Boy Grip then adding a little electronica and quirky production for Wake America. For the Elma Orkestra there are no rules - he’s freed himself to simply compose without restraint, adding extra colour with curious snippets of prose and poetry. The resulting record is vast, endlessly creative, hugely impressive and a gorgeous, varied listen from start to finish.
LISTEN TO: ‘Factory Girls’ - a tribute to the shirt factories in his home town with a story told by a factory girl called Maggie, who died in 1982.