Wednesday, 25 October 2017

Video: Little One - The Habit

Little One - The Habit

Little One - The Habit

Info: Little One are a post-indie group formed in Dublin. The collective made their Glastonbury and Electric Picnic debuts this past summer, following the success of singles "Corner" and "L/0", as well as a string of successful London shows. As a band, Little One strive to amalgamate their music with the best vocal talent the Irish music scene has to offer, with collaborations featuring Alannah Hewitt (James Vincent McMorrow), Faustina Finnerty (Pockets) and Catherine Smyth (Vernon Jane & Farrah Elle) already completed, with other prominent vocalists set to feature. The result of which, culminates in a unique mixture of electronica, neo-soul, post-rock and folk, with the outfit's influences stemming from Radiohead to Elliott smith, Alt J and Robert Glasper.

I'll come straight out with it, Little One are the band live music fans need to see straight away, because 2018 will see them jet-pack into the ether, I've never 'tipped' an act before because it's subjective, but I'm quite happy to do so with this Dublin band. I need to back that up though, grand pronouncements require grand evidence after all. 

Firstly is their debut single 'Corner' featuring the wonderful Cat Smith (below), secondly is 'L/O' which came out in July and I love a little too much, and now there's third single 'The Habit' featuring vocals from Alannah Hewitt which the song benefits immensely from. And there is also a fourth reason, the producer of their latest video is none other than the jaw-dropping electronic solo act Bad Bones, a bit of an artistic genius by any measure.

And so to 'The Habit', with a gorgeous twinkling sound and opening hum that gets over-ridden but not subsumed by a temporary crash of instrumentation, Hewitt's entry draws us into that placid settled water with a lull that is broken once again by the energetic splash of guitar and percussion. What works well here is the suspense of thinking that that momentum is just about to happen again, but Little One hold off, teasing, holding back, until the final 30-odd seconds, it's a euphoric moment that is built up to perfectly. 

 Little One play Tramline on Hawkins Street, Dublin 2 on Friday 3rd of November with support from another hot ticket Sylk and Susie Blue. Event page is here https://www.facebook.com/events/1945471052360728/

Little One feat. Cat Smyth - 'Corner'


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EP: Kieran Mulvihill - From the Outside Looking In

Kieran Mulvihill - From the Outside Looking In
Photo: Andy Sheridan


Info: Kerry native Kieran Mulvihill released his debut EP today, From the Outside Looking In, following launch nights in Listowel's Mike The Pies and The Cobblestone in Dublin, which he now calls home. 

Ah this makes me happy. There is so much warmth and the familiarity of an old friend in Mulvihill's first sharing of his music across these five tracks. 'It's Alright' strafes across so many bands and solo acts I have enjoyed over the last 15 years, both Irish and international. There's a wee hint of the deep-toned but equally soft vocals of fellow Munsterman Cormac O'Caoimh, and looking further afield it's like a less melancholic Keaton Henson. 

Second track 'I'll Be Your Man When The Sun Goes Down' pins to my ears like a song from Mundy's youthfully exuberant debut LP Jelly Legs on its opening bars. The rhythm and beat are strong on this one, if you were expecting a stripped down collection of tracks, that idea gets turned on its head pretty quickly here, and a talented song-writer is already fully revealed. 

The EP's title-track is observational and possibly reflects Mulvihill's personal experiences since moving to Dublin a number of years ago, the bizarre dual proximity and distance between people all at once. The nostalgia floods through on this track for me musically, I'm all Pearl-Jammed and it's a sunny summer in 1991 again. 'No Fruit To Bear' lifts us away from urban environments and off to the calm of a country childhood that grew up too fast. The skilled acoustic guitar playing I've enjoyed up until now deserves a mention at this point, as do the highly visual lyrics. Here they are quite sad, gnawing almost apologetically at the auld heartstrings, 'No Fruit To Bear' can be interpreted in so many ways to different individuals.

Closing with 'Daydreamin'', Mulvihill makes lyrical references to Elliott Smith and Mic Christopher, and it's quite nice that he doesn't mimic them in sound, these are his songs after all and they're more than capable of standing on their own two feet. I have to admit I went through a long period of being slow to engage with the music of Irish singer-songwriters following the dearth of acts that followed the late 90's. But just like all across the board in Irish music right now, the quality has risen so high I no longer feel that way, faith has been restored through both impressive musicianship and song-writing, and most importantly, not sounding like anybody else. Kieran Mulvihill is certainly in this cohort based on the songs he has chosen to share through From the Outside Looking In, and I can't get the idea of him in a concert hall with a full string section behind him out of my head, I would be there in a shot.


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Sunday, 22 October 2017

Album of the Month: Emma Langford - Quiet Giant

Emma Langford - Quiet Giant


Info: Following the huge success of her self-titled EP in 2016, praised by Hotpress Magazine as "angelic", Emma Langford returns with her debut album 'Quiet Giant' set for release this Winter. The album showcases ten tracks, set against a stunning backdrop of strings, percussion and piano. The songs 
dance lightly between genres, weaving a coming-of-age narrative that explores love, heartbreak, and wrestling with self-doubt.  

 'Quiet Giant' was recorded amidst the rolling pastures of Portlaoise at Golden Egg Studios, with Grammy nominated producers Graham Murphy & Chris O'Brien of the Production Suite in Dublin. The album lands just as Langford embarks on a tour of Germany and Switzerland throughout October and November with the Irish Folk Festival. Full-band Irish and UK tour dates to follow. 

 From it's very beginning Limerick artist Emma Langford's debut album Quiet Giant will whisk your mind and soul away to places they've always yearned for. The self-titled track is an arresting start, her vocals nodding to one Joni Mitchell on the softer moments and then soaring on to unique heights as the swell gathers. 'Sandman' has a delightfully moody jazz-swing feel to it, Langford gently whispering in our ears on the verses and then becoming more forthright as she hits the chorus, piano and strings dance together, accentuating that 1930's dance-hall vibe. 

 With 'Closed Book' the energy that has been building thus far breaks into a thumping stride, locomotive percussion and frenetic string arrangements thundering around her powerful voice with stunning force. As the track reaches it's break around the 2:05 mark I'm visualising Nina Simone on a grand piano soulfully delivering a heartfelt dirge. 'All You Want' tilts inwards towards a more traditional Irish folk sound, the tempo is pulled back, but the power is nonetheless retained deftly by Langford.
Emma Langford - 'Closed Book'

The sign of any great album is that it can temper unbridled joyous exuberance with moments of measured melancholy, the most powerful reaction a listener can have when executed to a high standard, such is the case with the beautiful delivery on 'Bear This Child'. Lines such as; "I never chose to bear this child, it just sort of wouldn't go away, and oh but I thought "well, wouldn't it be nice?" ‘til it was here one day" and "I never chose to keep your life but you wouldn't let me be, cries in the night as I'm drifting off, you've used up all of me and now I can't break free..." may feel cutting, but are unspoken and only thought, forbidden even.

Following the equally emotive "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" Langford ratchets up the dynamism we experienced at the beginning of the album on "6 Foot 4", a satirical dart at a lofty character who has notions of grandeur which are adorned by the unquestioning loyal company he surrounds himself with, our protagonist fantasises about a hard and heavy fall from grace. On "The Seduction of Eve" we find Langford in full-on classical folk territory, her lyrical ability on full show for all to see, and it's highly impressive. Thematically telling the story of shattered futures, broken trust and the over-powering emotional disappointment and trauma that follows. The lyrics are poetic and very visual; "And I surrendered all too quickly to a man of many names, who had plotted excavations where my thoughts were, and I wondered now and then if things would ever be the same, or if anything remained beyond the water". 

The benevolent caress of yet another gorgeous track in the form of "The Belle and the Ruin" leads us to Quiet Giant's final piece of wonder in "Tug O' War". The closing song confirms Langford as a song-writer of exceptional talent, I was 100% convinced this was an old soul classic I had heard before, but no, this is straight from her own hand and mind. It's a moving and thoroughly enjoyable piece of gospel soul, and once it ends there is nothing left to do but sit back and say "Wow". To cross-over so many genres with such ease, from jazz to soul to folk, tie them all together as if they were the one, and write such competent poetry into them is a joy to experience as a music fan. The stories Langford shared with us on Quiet Giant leave you wanting more and that is what will lead to great anticipation of her future releases, and critical acclaim for this one.

'Quiet Giant' will be officially launched on the 2nd of December at the iconic Dolan's Warehouse in Langford's home city, tickets are available here, and are priced at €12.00 https://www.dolans.ie/gigs-events-live-music-listings/2017/12/1/emma-langford


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