The Journals, 'Habits & Recreations'
Info: Featured in Part One of my Best Irish Tracks of 2014, I ended my paragraph expressing a desire that The Journals would release new material soon and lo and behold less than a week later here it is. Two new tracks from the Dublin trio of Oliver Moyles, John McDowell and Alex Cummins, 'Mannequin' and 'Habits & Recreations' reveal two things, one is that the band have developed in a short space of time since their debut E.P. earlier this year, and the second is that their sound is becoming quite distinctive. 'Mannequin' is at first enjoyable and after a few listens quite sad, a song perhaps about isolation, suggested in the opening lyrics; 'And I used to sense myself, and I used to understand, that I used to have real skin, I'm now broken mannequin', it's a track that definitely shows a subtle lyrical progression which promises great things. 'Habits & Recreations' has a different feel, slightly heavier but distinctly sounding like alternative rock bands from the early to mid-90's, such as My Bloody Valentine and Alice In Chains, the track really benefits from the chunky guitar and short interludes followed by bursting snares and crashing distortion.
The Journals stand out for me as a band that you know won't release a full album with 4 or 5 good tracks mixed with 4 or 5 fillers just to make up the numbers. Listening to their debut E.P. and these two tracks it's clear that song-writing comes naturally and so too should a very good debut album when the time is right. At a time when a lot of Irish bands are pursuing a particular sound and beholden to instant and fleeting fads in music, it's a delight to hear the trend being bucked with these three chaps (who are not alone by any means) who are quite simply writing good rock music which will appeal to new and slightly seasoned listeners of the genre alike.
The Journals, 'Mannequin'
