:: The Homicide Capital – Ethel (single, Human Season)
NOW that 2022 is starting to wind down, it is about time to start out marking out issues to stay up for in 2023 which could supply us some nice distraction from the upcoming monetary destroy we’re all dealing with.
One vibrant spark on the musical horizon is actually the forthcoming new album from Dublin’s The Homicide Capital, the comply with as much as their mighty debut Once I Have Fears – one in every of 2019’s finest information from a band who had already marked themselves out as Ones To Watch due to a string of high quality singles like Extra is Much less, Feeling Fades and Inexperienced and Blue, to not point out their reliably intense stay exhibits.
Whereas Covid trimmed TMC’s sails considerably and allowed fellow Dubs Fontaines DC to steal a march on cornering the worldwide market on arty, stylishly brooding guitar-based rackets with an Irish accent, not too long ago the band have begun drip-feeding us a collection of engaging new tunes from their eagerly anticipated second LP, Gigi’s Restoration.
Their newest single, Ethel, immediately reminds listeners of what they preferred in regards to the The Homicide Capital. It is a slinky, simmering/shimmering music which slowly attracts you into its darkish, engaging embrace as frontman James drawls soulfully over waves of Damien and Cathal’s clanging, spiralling guitars, propelled by the muscular but restrained rhythms conjured by Gabe and Diarmuid. Your fundamental swish, tuneful menace par excellence, then.
“The music Ethel is an image of a crossroads, actually, asking you what you need from life,” clarify the band of their newest providing.
“Whether or not you wish to proceed down a path of chaos, or make a change in your course. It is displaying you what is feasible while you make the selections that convey a kind of cradled heat into your future. The thought of Ethel is that you could have what you really need in case you put to relaxation these short-lived fixes that by no means convey you any actual happiness.”
Ethel follows the intriguingly drum ‘n’ bass-flavoured gothic stalk and slash of equally promising earlier single A Thousand Lives which appeared again in September and the appealingly off-kilter singalong of July’s indie rocker Solely Good Issues.
All in all, they make for a tasty trio of appetisers for the album correct, which has been produced by John Congleton and is about for launch on January 20: pre-order it now on a wide range of codecs by way of themurdercapital.terrible.group.
There’s already one Irish date of their diary for 2023, which includes a go to to Dublin’s Vicar Road on February 26 – fingers crossed for a Belfast date to be added sooner slightly than later.
:: Rews – The World That You Left Behind (single, self-released)
HAVING enthused over the newest materials from New Pagans within the final Noise Annoys, we someway forgot to say the truth that guitarist and songwriter Cahir has not too long ago been moonlighting with Rews for his or her newest single, The World That You Left Behind – a catchy alt-rock banger laced with dose of the highly effective catchy/crunchiness that served his earlier outfit Combating With Wire so nicely (and to those that obtained to see their current one-off reunion in Derry, no, I am not jealous. In any respect. HONEST.) given a recent and intriguing spin courtesy of some highly effective feminine vocals.
“I am ecstatic about lastly releasing this music,” enthuses Rews singer/guitarist/chief Shauna Tohill of her newest riff-tastic tune.
“It is obtained a lot vitality, riffs for days and an ideal message. I wrote it with an ideal good friend of mine, Cahir O’Doherty. It’s a music that journeys by how we are able to help these individuals in our lives who get carried away with detrimental ideas and really feel totally misplaced and alone.
“Hopefully, the music will present a pleasant audio internet for individuals to fall into at occasions of want, so that they know they don’t seem to be alone.”
Up with this kind of factor: become involved now on the streaming platform of your alternative and by way of rewsmusic.com/home.
:: Aoife Wolf – The Wetlands (EP, Analogue Catalogue/Tiny Comet)
ONWARDS to but extra phrases on The Wetlands EP from Dublin’s Aoife Wolfe, who has already earned reward on this column for 2 of the important thing tracks from this six music package deal which was lastly launched in its entirety final week.
Again in October, the title tune was described as “a pleasure, a dreamy shoegazey daze which sways, swirls and infrequently snarls”, whereas earlier single and EP opener The Lady Who Shot Andy Warhol was and certainly stays “a darkish ‘n’ dreamy, sultry sly and slinky lamentation full of ominous, rolling drums, portentous Telecaster strum ‘n’ clang and Wolf’s spine-tingling vocal efficiency”.
Fortunately, the remainder of this debut EP launch greater than lives as much as its forerunners: The Screaming Waltz unfurls in a dreamy, mournful suggestions haze over the course of 5 mesmerizing minutes – an instrumental model can also be included as a bonus monitor simply in case there are any film-makers in want of some extremely atmospheric soundtrack fodder – whereas They Say I’ve Obtained A Fever is a skeletal, clattering and downright catchy affair with Wolf’s swoonsome vocals contrasting properly with jagged, ragged instrumentation what builds in depth towards its noisy climax.
The ultimate monitor is a sparse, spectral and reverb-drenched cowl of Nirvana’s One thing In The Manner, a haunting interpretation of one in every of Mr Cobain’s most memorable tunes: absolutely he would have accredited.
“The EP has transpired to be a set of songs about combating psychological unrest,” explains Wolf within the accompanying press launch.
“None of that was deliberate – not even the title. I simply thought it was probably the most fascinating of the titles however now it has come to imply this type of murky world that I’ve tied in with my previous.
“I grew up surrounded by rural bogland too and that is the place the songs had been born. Other than the Nirvana cowl, every of the songs addresses some type of in poor health psychological well being which was on the centrefold of my life on the time of writing.
“I used to be drawn to darkish, angsty sonics and it very a lot appears like a youthful model of me. I had quite a lot of anger to get out however I feel it is out now.
“Like all of my music, this assortment was recorded to tape with Julie McLarnon at Analogue Catalogue. I feel working with Julie has in all probability been one of the vital important issues to occur to me musically.
“I’ve spent quite a lot of time there speaking about music, life, artwork, love and listening to information or raiding her CD assortment for the automotive journey again from Co All the way down to wherever I have been residing on the time, listening to Sparklehorse, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Elliott Smith, King Creosote, Kate Bush, Tindersticks, Impartial Milk Resort and so forth.
“My teenage years felt like I might been at midnight about quite a lot of issues, so my grownup years have been spent taking part in catch up. So play I shall.”
Assist to pay for her play by way of aoife-wolf.bandcamp.com/album/the-wetlands.
:: Sister Ghost – Yuletide Ghosts (decoration, handmade)
FINALLY for this week, because it’s Bandcamp Friday and lots of of you’ll presently be pondering how late you possibly can go away it to place up your Christmas tree earlier than it is not truly definitely worth the effort (my ma’s report is December 23, which is spectacular/scary), perhaps these new handmade crocheted Yuletide Ghost baubles from Shannon of Sister Ghost will spur you on to truly whap out the tinsel and tat in a well timed method.
These little guys are as cute as they’re spooky and may co-ordinate completely with any sort of pretend snow you have got happening in your festive decorations – however if you need one, you higher transfer quick as they’re accessible in restricted portions for at present solely by way of sisterghost.bandcamp.com, value TBC.
