Video: This Side Up - Snappin feat. Hamo

This Side Up - Snappin feat. Hamo

Info: This Side Up are delighted to release the third single from their debut album 'Full Fat'.  ‘Snappin’ features 'Hamo' from 'Dirt Crew Recordings' & 'Splendor & Squalour'.

Hamo and This Side Up have been operating in the same circles out West since way back when.... Yes they go way back. In fact it transpires that Conor 'Hamo' Hamilton and Eddie 'Myster-E' Hamilton are actually brothers.

Hamo has migrated east to Berlin where the Craic is second to none for electronic music. It's his base to experiment with new tunes and jet set around the world playing gigs.

It was decided a video had to happen for 'Snappin'. A motley crew of Sligonians and Sligo residing Berliners were rounded up. Chief Video man Peter Martin grabbed his lenses and off they flew.

Here's what we had to say about 'Snappin' previously when we reviewed Full Fat late last year (which you can read here); 'Full Fat finishes strongly, 'Snappin' feat. Hamo opening with a breezy 80's disco sample before the heat arrives, just like 'All Or Nothin' This Side Up crank up the energy and forcefulness.' As always TSU bring the A-Game on the video, and never do things in halves, a groovin' whistle-stop tour of the night-time streets and underground of Berlin, wunderbar.

This Side Up's next appointment with the people is with the formidable King Kong Company at The Academy on the 8th of April, tickets be here.

https://thissideupire.bandcamp.com/

http://www.thissideup.ie/

Video: AV AV AV - Habitat

AV AV AV - Habitat

Info: Described by Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim, just in case!) as being 'definitely the sound of the future', Copenhagen's AV AV AV treat us to yet another excellent electronic glitch masterpiece via new single 'Habitat'. At the moment AV AV AV can do no wrong, with their sophomore EP on the way on the 10th of March they seem to have hit a very rich vein of form. 2015's debut EP release, They Live, garnered a lot of attention domestically and outside of Denmark, receiving a lot of airplay on BBC Radio 1 and sold out shows at home and in London soon followed.

'Habitat' itself is an absolute groover, drawing on the best of 90's electronic deep house and pushing it beyond the present day and into new time-zones. It's pacy yet ambient, and ridiculously smooth in how it creates a succulent chilled vibe for the listener, just about holding back tantalisingly from going full anthemic on us. 

The video for the follow up to the more laid-back sounds of the equally impressive 'About You' is described here by the duo; "The full process of the Habitat video has taken nearly two years because of the great deal of work it took to create the 3D animations. During this time we have simultaneously been working on the track. We felt we had to make the track even better every time we saw new video material from Anders and his crew. So in a way, the track and the video developed together through this process."

Look / Like / Listen & Follow:

Website: http://www.avavav.xyz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avavavdk/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ElSSC4jDQ7mGvDZoAIafM

Twitter: https://twitter.com/avavavmusic

EP: Sväva - Sväva

Photo: Nick Helderman

Sväva - Moist

Info: Dutch dream-pop four-piece Sväva recently released their latest self-titled EP which has been over a year in the making. The five track recording is a fine exemplar of contemporary synth-based and indie music. Opening with 'Huntress', the mood is escapist and lightly dark, lead singer Bente Hout's vocals are powerful and emotive, combined with the spacial percussion and keys, it creates a cross-over between Florence & The Machine and Bat for Lashes, however, this is not to be the case across the remainder of the EP.

Latest single 'Moist' (above video) is darker again and places more emphasis on the band's electronic leanings. The synth is glorious, echoing the grittier and early side of Gary Numan and Tubeway Army, with a dash of The National thrown in for good measure. Previous single 'Only U' is a definitive stand out for me, a delightful rolling guitar lick and brooding bass-line provide the perfect backdrop to Hout's mixed use of psychedelic 60's-era and modern pop vocals. The video itself, directed and produced by Wander Andringa is also a beautiful composition that is cinematic in it's reach.

Sväva - Only U

After the pause for reflection that is 'Sadly', a haunting and sombre number, Sväva wrap up with their final track, 'Summery Haze', a wonderful slice of electronic 80's-influenced music, guitars and synths are once again sounding great. The track escalates very nicely to a euphoric space, swinging forwards and backwards between its guitar riffs and ethereal vocal effects to wrap up an EP that Sväva should be very proud of.

Look / Like / Listen & Follow:

Website: http://www.svavaband.nl/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/svavaband

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4hdSkQG9jcWzwKJ2c3N7jl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/svavaband

Live: Bitch Falcon @ The Workman's Club - 25th Feb., 2017

All photos: Remy Connolly

Info: You'll never leave a Bitch Falcon show with a sense of indifference or a lack of fulfillment, yet again this was the case last night as a packed and shhhweaty Workman's Club rocked out to one of Dublin's favourite live acts. The audience were already energised by the excellent support from The Scratch, an acoustic four-piece that raised the roof off with their rapid tempo trad-rock, even momentarily treating us to the best part of the Riverdance track.

Bitch Falcon ratcheted proceedings up step by step, gradually going from the 'less louder' songs in their repertoire up to their trademark rock slams, by the time they had got to new single 'Clutch', they were already in full swing. Without sounding too rose-tinted, one feeling I've always had both during and post-gig with Bitch Falcon is I imagine that this must have been what it was like in the good old days of the 70's and early 80's at rock concerts / shows. It feels primal and the energy is infectious from stage to audience, regular attendees at their gigs know this, and that's a large part of why they keep coming back for more, newcomers are already thinking of their next BF show for the same reasons, and that's why the numbers will continue to grow.

Playlist: Remy's Irish Independent Top 10, Issue #002

For Foresters

Info: Our first, and long overdue, Irish independent playlist of 2017 is here, but well worth the wait as they say! We have ten fantastic tracks from For Foresters, Marlene Enright, Bitch Falcon (who we interviewed earlier this week, and whom I'm on my out the door to see shortly, can't wait), Luan Parle, the affable Scoops, Darling, Jack O'Rourke, a debut single from BIMM students Rabble Babble and more. Enjoy.

Morrissey & Marshall

Video: Dioscó na mBó - Vanua Feat. Vėtra

Dioscó na mBó - Vanua Feat. Vėtra

Info: The mellow masters from Sligo are back with a new track and video to sooth our wee hearts, electronic trio Dioscó na mBó have just released 'Vanua' featuring Vėtra, and it is unsurprisingly yet another chilled out affair. With it's St. Germain and Air influences seeping through, we have a fat bass-line aligned with some acoustic and funky electric guitar jams. Vėtra's (the Lithuanian chanteuse also featured on previous track 'Nobody's Ghost') vocals are well suited for the hazy 3 and a half minute track which has a wispy summer lawn feel and is decidedly more downtempo than earlier releases. All in all it's another sumptious piece of electro joy from Dioscó na mBó, and long may it continue.

Like / Listen & Follow: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Diosconambo/

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/diosconambo

Twitter: https://twitter.com/diosco_na_mbo

Single: The Grey Merchant - The Last Transmission

The Grey Merchant - The Last Transmission

Info: The Grey Merchant is the collaborative recording project of Cork based Indie trio Neon Atlas’ bassist Enda O’Flaherty and a collection of friends and fellow musicians. Drawing comparisons with classic noise and stoner rock, influences like Kyuss and Fu Manchu can be heard.

‘THE LAST TRANSMISSION’ is the follow up to their debut single release ‘Spotless (The Protecting Veil’ which was released in November last year, receiving significant airplay both in Ireland and internationally, particularly in the UK, USA, France, Canada and …The Mauritius

The Grey Merchant are currently in the studio putting the final touches to their debut long-player release which is expected sometime in the late spring of 2017.

The second single from The Grey Merchant is an absolute stomper of a track, a whirling mix of mid-90's and contemporary alternative rock, 'The Last Transmission' rips up the ground in its path. Thunderous drumming, swarming guitar riffs and moments of euphoric elevation all create a wondrous atmosphere that is a delight to soak up. At times recalling Therapy? and at others the grittier rock moments of early The Frames (think 'God Bless Mom'), the track has it all, now with two very, very solid singles under the belt, we await eagerly for The Grey Merchant's album release this year.


Like / Listen & Follow:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegreymerchant

Bandcamp: https://thegreymerchant.bandcamp.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/grey_merchant

Video: Brass Phantoms - Waiting Up

Photo: Alan McCarthy

Brass Phantoms - Waiting Up

Info: There always comes a time when a band ceases to be 'new' or 'up and coming' and moves into the space of having fully arrived. Such is the case with Dublin indie-rockers Brass Phantoms, who, over the last number of months have settled with ease into the new surroundings they find themselves in with regard to their growing reputation, and acknowledgement from both peers and the music press that they are the real deal.

This is encapsulated in new single and video 'Waiting Up', we now have instantly recognisable 'sounds' that are definitively Brass Phantoms, from bass, percussion, vocals and guitar. As much as I dislike the term, there is a notable maturity to be found and heard on 'Waiting Up', there's a confidence and assuredness from the four-piece, they have found their zone and it's an extremely promising one. Last years debut EP City of Wolves showed signs of what was to come, but often bands can get trapped in those early stages, in this instance Brass Phantoms have shot ahead, and quickly, which augurs very well indeed for the future. 'Waiting Up' feels moody yet anthemic, rhythmic yet forceful, is undeniably indie but bubbles with a post-punk groove, and the excellent video by Alan McCarthy is the perfect fit for a great single.

Like / Listen & Follow: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BPdublin/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5zdXPyEAUHZes9LNm5xZSx

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrassPhantoms

Live: Alex Smyth EP Launch @ The Bello Bar, Feb. 18th

All photos by Remy Connolly

Info: In a buzzing and jam-packed Bello Bar last Saturday night, Dublin instrumental and ambient act Alex Smyth officially launched his The Utopian Dream EP. Support on the night came from three really great acts that played out of their skin, from relative new comers VLLNS who got us off to a rocking start, to the always energising and highly enjoyable Kevyn, and finally another solo act I'd listened to for the first time on the bus on the way into the gig, Cinema. Cinema was the perfect lead in to Alex Smyth, both residing in familiar territory genre-wise, he impressed the socks off me, I knew he must be up to something good given the sheer volume of streams he has on SoundCloud with most of his tracks clocking up well over the 4-figures mark, an impressive feat for a relative unknown.

Smyth himself did what all music fans hope will happen when you go to see someone in a live setting after listening to their recorded music, he matched the sound and then surpassed it, his live performance being every bit as great as his release sounds. The audience loved it, familiarity with the studio version of his EP, easily translating into a live setting, we all knew when the peaks were coming and reacted accordingly. Smyth is a joy to watch live, and I would highly recommend catching one of his next live shows based on last Saturdays performance.

Alex Smyth: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1jcBRVmxE4imezxOS2IdIs

Cinema: https://soundcloud.com/cinemamusicireland

Kevyn: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4prw0mmKQj7MdUD82tEzLz

Playlist: Remy's Best of International Playlist - Issue #007

Childcare - Photo: Debbie Scanlan / Wolf James Photography

Info: Every few weeks Remy brings you the best of independent international music that is floating the musical boat. In our fourth issue for 2017 we have a truly genre-spanning compilation across ten tracks, from pop, r n'b, rock, indie pop, folk, synthpop, and electronica. This delicious spread comes via the United States, Wales, England, Germany, Israel and Canada, do enjoy!

Berlin's Odd Couple

Secret Cameras - It Doesn't Matter

Interview: Bitch Falcon

Bitch Falcon - Clutch

Info: Currently in the middle of an Irish tour to promote the release of their latest bone-crunching single, 'Clutch', Dublin rock band Bitch Falcon kindly took the time out to chat to Remy about the single and accompanying video, where they see Bitch Falcon residing in the wider Irish music scene, and more.

You’re currently on a mini-Irish tour to promote new single 'Clutch', and covering a lot of ground with dates already played in Waterford, Portlaoise, Galway and Limerick, and a show in your home city in The Workman’s Club coming up on the 24th of February, how’s it going so far?

Nigel: Great! Couldn’t have asked for anything better really. Big turnouts, a lot of first time visits and met some lovely people along the way. A nice little cherry on top so far was getting to play with The Redneck Manifesto last night on the last gig of their tour. Pure gents!

Naomi: It’s going good! It’s been great to play in Waterford and Portlaoise in particular as both are places we hadn’t played before, and we succeeded in having the craic with lovely audiences each night, so that was a high in itself. Galway was brilliant as always and Limerick with the Rednecks was a special one, for sure. We’re gearing up for our Dublin gig now, pretty excited for it!

In the director’s notes for the video for 'Clutch’, Allyn Quigley mentions discussing the 90’s videos that left impressions on each of you during the planning stages, which ones in particular stood out when you sat down to think about them?

Naomi: We made strong reference to lo-fi / shoegaze styles from the outset when we were planning the video, in terms of visual content, colouring and overall style, which I think cemented itself as something of a basis around which the more performance-based 90s style was then shaped. For me, My Bloody Valentine sprung to mind instantly when the conversation began, in terms of their colour-saturated, overlaid, surreal style that always blended so well with their music. 

Staying on that topic, our earliest love of music is generally informed by what is current at the time, and / or what our peers are listening to. Did you find as you grew older that you started to delve into music from previous era’s such as the 60’s-80’s, and did that in turn influence the style of music Bitch Falcon play today?

Nigel: It was the other way around for me. I was obsessed with Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles when I was in my teens and as I got older, I got more into current stuff through shows like No Disco. 

Naomi: I sort of went from one extreme to the other - my teen years were filled with the likes of Metallica and Nine Inch Nails, followed by a slightly more sophisticated Baroque-era classical guitar obsession, haha! The heavier end of my musical upbringing has no doubt shaped whatever it is I bring to the band stylistically, anyway. I’m always after chuggy, downtuned, heavy vibes!  

Lizzie: I was obsessed with David Bowie for a few years during my teens, which led me onto many other greats of that time, Brian Eno, Iggy Pop, The Velvet Underground and such like. And I think our earliest love of music is formed by what is in your environment, what your parents are listening to, before listening to what's current.

Photo: Remy Connolly

Without massaging your egos too much, as a band you are pretty much unanimously admired by the online and print music press in Ireland, both as recorded and live artists, have you found, as many acts do, it difficult to translate that acclaim into an even wider popularity?

Nigel: That’s a very nice sentiment, we certainly do get an awful lot of support from the press which is unexpected and very helpful when trying to get the songs out there. If I’m honest, unless tastes change dramatically and we go back to the wonderful era when Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and Nirvana were considered popular music, I don’t think we’ll have massive mainstream appeal. There are people out there that will like what we do and others who won’t understand it at all, and I’m totally fine with that.

Naomi: I think having an evolving sound is of huge importance to us, and if in future our music lands us in a position where the audiences expand beyond our wildest dreams, then, well and good - but it wouldn’t make sense for us playing the music that we play to be gunning for that. We’re going to keep doing our thing, making music to the best of the band’s ability and embrace our audience all along the way.

Lizzie: I think it's best not to think about it like that. We write music for us, it's just a great coincidence people like it.

'Clutch' certainly reflects the aforementioned live presence very neatly and is a great indicator as to what someone who hasn’t seen you on stage could expect, are you happy with how the end product of the video reflected your hopes from the outset?

Lizzie: Yeah I think it was a great outcome. I had lots of fun running around screaming into a camera. 

Naomi: I think it’s damn near impossible for any creative project to turn out 100% as you envisioned it! That said, we’re certainly happy with how it turned out and in turn, how it has been received. We were a bit self-conscious initially about the performance aspect of the video as we wanted it to be artistic as opposed to egotistical, but the finished result has solidified what we had an mind. That said, I think as you mention yourself, it gives new listeners a more defined story in terms of how we perform and what we’re about, as a band. 

Whilst you evidently have a lot of written material, your releases have been rare but wonderful, do Bitch Falcon plan on increasing the regularity of releases in 2017? 

Nigel: There has been some material recorded, mixed and mastered so it is very likely you will hear some or all of that this year.

Lizzie: You can expect some releases and new tunes.

Photo: Remy Connolly

Finally, do you find that with the sheer volume of quality acts in Ireland at the moment across a wide variety of genres, that there is still a paucity of bone fide hard rock bands like yourselves? And if so, why do you think that is?

Nigel: I think there’s a scarcity of bands in general and it’s easy to be surprised by that statement if you live in Dublin but there are scenes not as productive as they once were in other cities around the country and i’m not quite sure why that is. 

Naomi: With the best of respect, I wouldn’t personally slot us into “hard rock”, but then again, I don’t know where exactly I would place our music. Ha! If anything I think there is more genre crossover than ever within the Irish music scene right now, it used to be that you’d turn up to a DIY gig and there’d be the wonderful diversity of a math-rock band, a stoner band, an experimental band all in the one lineup, whereas now a gig could consist of three bands but span across eight genres. So in answer to your question regarding hard rock, perhaps there is a paucity - the metal scene seems to be stronger than ever, groove music is enjoying a well-deserved time in the spotlight and Irish hip-hop seems to be growing in numbers by the day. There is no shortage of amazing music at the minute and if that means a brief reprieve from the familiar ubiquity of hard rock, I’m sure it will indeed be a brief one.

Lizzie: I think people are looking to do something different with the rock genre, which is needed.


Bitch Falcon play the Dublin leg of their current tour this Saturday night, 24th of February in The Workman's Club, tickets are available here via Ticketmaster.

Additional Tour Dates:

10th March - Connolly's - Leap, Cork
11th March - Cyprus Avenue - Cork
7th April - Garbo's (with Girl Band) - Castlebar, Mayo

https://www.bitchfalcon.com/

https://www.facebook.com/b.tchfalcon/

Single: Louise Lemón - Egyptian Darkness

Info: 'Egyptian Darkness' is the new single from the Scandi female artist with vision called Louise Lemón. Although the music itself doesn’t resemble anything Egyptian at all, there is an message to the name. It does however sound dark, mysterious and mystical.

In the style of Lana Del Rey, The Kills and PJ Harvey’s open and airy noir- sound, the production takes the listener on a psychedelic journey throughout. The drumbeat is slow yet assertive, the scuzzy guitars remain ethereal yet powerful, and Louise’s vocals slide across the song with a presence which simply cannot be ignored.

Darkness is undoubtedly the operative word here, on her new single, Louise Lemón invokes a spiritual wasteland permanently shrouded by the night, and inhabited by a lost ancient tribe. Inspired by the dual themes of liberation and the biblical story of the Exodus where Egypt was enveloped by three days of darkness, Lemón's vocals, the methodical percussion and sweeping orchestral moments capture this scene perfectly. 'Egyptian Darkness' is cinematic in its reach, and has a restrained dramatic quality which sees it avoid going over the top. 

The second track, 'Shipwreck', is equally impressive, and shows another side of Lemón's musical persona and sound. It's a moody and subtly atmospheric number, her vocal rich and alluring and also displaying a powerful classic rock range with aplomb. Both tracks should be more than enough to push the artist onwards to a space which can be enjoyed by music fans of very varied dispositions. 


Look / Like & Listen:

Website: http://www.louiselemonmusic.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/louiselemonmusic/

Spotify: https://play.spotify.com/artist/73jtPlWstz25MLzvVbgubO

Album: B. Splash - One Nation to Never Divide Between Us

Info: From Saint Paul, Minnesota, Brock Splawski, formerly known as Midwestern Bass Machine (who we adored here), has hit the reset button and embarked on a new solo project under the moniker of B. Splash. Whilst the reset button has been pressed, not all of his sound has been discarded by any means. Splawski has consistently been the most impressive international DIY artist I've come across over the past 3 years, and One Nation to Never Divide Between Us confirms what didn't need to be confirmed already.

Beginning with a reverb-soaked soundwave and a sampled monologue on the inexplicable love affair our species has with destruction, One Nation makes an early impact with 'Entrances'. B. Splash then engages in creating the type of atmosphere he is so adept at, ethereal and spacial, a Kubrickian suspension in space looking down on Earth with 'Figurine'. As the title suggests, the keys twinkle like a Victorian ballerina box, and everything is in the most beautiful slow motion. 

Suitably settled in at this point, something quite amazing happens on third track 'Encounters', Splawski is an expert at taking moods from the past and making them incredibly visual, on this track it's a 1940's dancehall band and backing singers, the accompaniment of acoustic guitar and electronic sound make it all the more surreal. On 'What Are You Going to Do, Die? Yes' and ' A Strange and Depraved Night at the 10th Floor Pool' classic black and white American cinema and television are sampled, and then on the latter we are brought into a funky rn'b medley that is both chaotic and majestic in equal measure, we're in Mount Kimbie territory now.

'Rachel Like The Band' and 'Exits' both begin with disorientating distortion, before beautifully making way for some very soothing instrumental compositions, all to the backdrop of a lapping static that sounds like rain on a window. The album's title-track sees B. Splash in full abandon mode, it's a wild psychedelic cartoonish bossa nova explosion of colour and sound, almost a million miles away from the start of the recording but an absolutely logical destination. We finish with 'Melted Snow', his urge to indulge in echoed and distant piano movements making a brief and joyous appearance, I could listen to this on loop for a lot longer and still not be satisfied. 

Whilst still notably different to his releases as Midwestern Bass Machine (do yourself a huge favour and check out Don't Want To Live Here from 2015) One Nation to Never Divide Between Us is a celebration of sheer abandon and a determination to make great music, absolutely unhindered by the thoughts and perceptions of others, an album made for music and not people.

https://discoyetirecords.com/

https://bdotsplash.bandcamp.com/album/one-nation-to-never-divide-between-us

Video: Kingdom of Crows - Sculptor's Run

Kingdom of Crows - Sculptor's Run

Info: Dublin dark rock act Kingdom of Crows who are built around the twin song-writing talents of guitarist Stephen Kelly and vocalist Lucy Earley have released their first single of 2017, 'Sculptor's Run'. Both visually and musically the new single is markedly different from previous releases, whilst staying loyal to their trademark ability to create dark atmospheric landscapes. 'Sculptor's Run' exudes more attitude and increases the intensity of the pace we have come to expect from KoC. 

Thick mechanical bass-lines feed the rhythm as synths fire sporadic wisps of sound around Earley's vocals, unsurprisingly everything is slick and perhaps the most interesting aspect of the track is the new-wave angle to their sound, it works intriguingly well and confirms that Kingdom of Crows have no intention of sitting on their laurels when it comes to pushing their sound, excellent stuff once again.


Look / Like / Listen & Follow: 

Webpage: http://www.breakingtunes.com/kingdomofcrows

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KingdomOfCrowsMusic

Bandcamp: https://kingdomofcrows.bandcamp.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kingdomofcrows

Listen: EP - Gareth Quinn Redmond - Home Recordings Vol 2: Just Home Now

Gareth Quinn Redmond - Home Recordings Vol 2: Just Home Now

Info: Gareth Quinn Redmond is a Dublin solo act who recently released his second self-made EP, Home Recordings Vol 2: Just Home Now, the follow up to last year's Vol 1: It's Just Noise. The E.P was recorded sporadically over the course of the month of November 2016. Hope you enjoy on a Samson CO3U, and officially released on January 28, 2017. Opening track 'All Too Aware' contains lyrics written by Fin Divilly, who also performs vocals on the song. 

It's a beautiful and impressively produced collection of four tracks, mixing contemporary traditional folk with classical music, soft-rock and electronic sounds, such as on final track, 'Home Now', overall a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience.

https://garethquinnredmond.bandcamp.com

https://www.facebook.com/garethwritesmusic/

Single: James Vincent McMorrow - One Thousand Times

James Vincent McMorrow - One Thousand Times

- Review by Noël Duplaa

Info: Building on his second major reinvention in as many albums, James Vincent McMorrow’s new single 'One Thousand Times' from his third album, We Move, finds him in a mournful and groovy place. Essentially a lonely soul ballad, pushing forward on an 80’s reverbed snare, the song continues the album’s themes of exploring his dark places armed only with his distinctive falsetto and warm, analog synths.

There’s an interview with Louis CK where he describes his process of coming up with a new hour of comedy every year: as external observations dry up, you’re forced to dig further and further into yourself to find new material. McMorrow seems to be reflecting this process, with the drastic shifts from Early in the Morning’s acoustic troubadour and Post Tropical’s 808 driven hip-pop to this current mournful soul, mirrored by his newfound unflinching introspection, here attempting to both understand and save a doomed relationship.

McMorrow has said that his third album’s minimalistic departure from the hip hop and orchestral flourishes of sophomore effort Post-Tropical stemmed from his relationship with producer Nineteen85 - the man behind some of Drake’s biggest hits 'Hold On, We’re Going Home', 'Hotline Bling' and 'One Dance'. While his warm, analog, pulsing minimalism is all over this track, the real key here is how much the production steps back, choosing to frame and focus on McMorrow’s voice, which is more than capable of holding this coiled and humming world together.  

His trademark falsetto hangs mournful and unsure over the verses, but resolute and bolstered by harmony in the chorus, matching the song’s push and pull between worried regret and, well, worried determination. It's a beautiful sleight of hand: as he wrestles with this losing battle, the driving pulse of the snare and the power of the harmonised vocal add a sense of assurance that the yearning lyrics can never quite muster, and then, suddenly, the chorus is finished, everything falls away and only a glimmer of reverb acts as reminder that anything was ever there at all.


Following on from his recent sold out shows in Cork and Belfast, it has also been announced that James' next Irish gig will take place in Trinity College Dublin, on July 7th. In the meantime, the Dublin songwriter heads to Australia and Japan for shows in March.


http://www.jamesvmcmorrow.com/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7FDlvgcodNfC0IBdWevl4u