A lot of Irish music comes Nialler9’s way and there’s little time to feature everything we think is worthy of a thumbs up or more ears. Every week, we collate the songs that pass our writers that deserve to be heard by you. For more extensive Irish coverage, follow our Spotify playlist or hit up the Irish section.
1.
Damola
This One
Dublin MC Damola is back after a bit of a hiatus sounding very fresh on new single ‘This One’. This is a smooth, melodic hip-hop jam. Half sang and half-rapped, the WordUp Collective associated artist oozes cool and class on his new cut.
2.
Paul Noonan
Beautiful Phones
The Bell X1 frontman here releases a bit of solo material. Sung, uncharacteristically, in an icy falsetto and set against electronica backdrop, ‘Beautiful Phones’ is a new step for the veteran. Mission accomplished too, the track feels natural never forced, swelling gradually and dynamically. It’ll be interesting to see where Noonan goes from here.
3.
Strange Boy Nature
String Theory
Limerick MC Strange Boy, featured in the recent Unscene Tapes (essentially watching) video, comes through with some hard-hitting lofi hip hop with ‘String Theory’. It’s definitely a bit rough around the edges, the production is more than a little abrasive. However, the artist comes through with the sort of passion and technical skill most only dream of. This track bangs hard.
4.
King Pallas
The Dead
Something totally different from Limerick now. Patrick O’Brien, known as King Pallas, comes through with a trip-hop new track ‘The Dead’. The song, bathed in atmosphere and reverb, begins sparsely and expands into a full mix around the halfway mark. Love the creative use of chattering violins, distorted to the point of unrecognition.
5.
Uly
Mama (T6 Version)
Dublin-based slacker pop artist Uly put out an acoustic reimagining of his 2018 track ‘Mama’. It’s a real pleasant surprise to hear the artist’s songwriting and vocals appear relatively naked, with this version being performed with just acoustic guitar accompaniment. It’s a super solid track, the artist does a fantastic job of distilling emotion and movement with the minimal tools he has at his fingertips. Sometimes, less is more.
6.
Active
I Never Die
Some superb trap from Monaghan now coutesy of new MC Active. ‘I Never Die’ is dark, heavy and full of confidence. Armed with a catchy hook, Active shows much more than just an ear for melody with a master display of lyricism and flow. The sort of high standard and quality that demands your attention from the get go.
7.
David Boland
You Go
Be not fooled by the breezy acoustic guitar progression on this one, David Boland’s ‘You Go’ is far from a throwaway singer-songwriter cut. Listen to the lyrics, penned in a charming vernacular and alive with a sense of wit. Boland highlights himself as an artist wiht a knack for cutting lines and a keen self-awareness on this single, best typified in the line “I know I’ve sung these songs before but I don’t think that you listened to em”
