8 Irish songs you should hear this week
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. Without further ado. More more extensive Irish coverage, follow our Spotify playlist or hit up the Irish section.
1.
Girlfriend
Spitkissing
Girlfriend are one of the coolest up and coming bands in Dublin at the moment. ‘Spitkissing’ is one of two songs on the band’s new double single release ‘Spitkissing/Small Smile Grow’, both of which showcase the band in equally different lights. ‘Spitkissing’ is an electric guitar drenched ballad about the throes of passion, complete with harmony laced backing vocals and a dissonant, climactic outro section that risks ripping at it’s seams.
2.
Elephant
Summer
Elephant is the moniker of Dundalk native Shane Clark. ‘Summer’ is the opening track of his new concept album 88, which saw release last week. Ukulele chords and gentle piano melodies lend themselves to lullaby-esque results before the introduction of electric guitar strums stear the song in a different direction. The song is a nostalgia-laced ode to a life once lived, “the closest that I came was knowing I would never feel the same way / there’s a village in my head / I hung it from its legs / I long for that summer”.
3.
A. Smyth
Second Moon
A. Smyth who used to be in the band Vann Music, has been releasing music under his new moniker for just over one year now and has been going from strength to strength with each release. His latest single ‘Second Moon’ contrasts from previous releases that were perhaps denser in arrangement; the song a blend of stripped back vocals and subtle instrumentation that hypnotises its listener more with every second.
4.
True Tides
Automatic
We got a taste of the new, pop infused direction of True Tides (formerly called MKAI) last month with the release of their song ‘Higher‘. Its successor ‘Automatic’ is cut from the same cloth with an infectious concoction of layers of vocal hooks and bright guitar riffs. With rising Dublin production house Diffusion Lab on mixing and production duties, ‘Automatic’ rises and falls in all the right places, rendering it the perfect summer anthem. It will be interesting to see where the band go from here.
5.
October Fires
Pray
Kildare based band October Fires channel Lisa Hannigan-esque vocals on their new track ‘Pray’. Recorded and mixed by Gavin Glass, the song opens with gentle harmonies and could be mistaken for a folk ballad on first glance. It later develops into a cacophony of dissonant piano and guitar notes underneath billowing drums before a brief, tonal reprisal in the bridge. Altogether, it makes for an eclectic listen.
6.
Eoin Dolan
Superior Fiction
Eoin Dolan‘s new track ‘Superior Fiction’ sounds like the intersection where psychedelic meets retro pop. Complete with intergalactically themed artwork, the song is an amalgamation of dreamy synths and warped guitars. The song is the title track from Eoin Dolan’s upcoming EP, set for release on August 24th.
7.
Gareth Quinn Redmond
Gluaiseacht I
Taking influence from the work of Japanese minimalist composer Satoshi Ashikawa, Gareth Quinn Redmond‘s new album Gluaiseacht aims to engage, enrich and reflect one’s surroundings, self-described as “environmental music”. The album is composed of two songs, ‘Gluaiseacht I’ and ‘Gluaiseacht II’ – listen to the songs consecutively to get the full experience. Ambient soundscapes meet trance-like electronic keys in Gluaiseacht I and blend to form the perfect soundtrack to your quiet night in.
8.
Daithí
Take The Wheel (Live Video)
Daithí’s latest single ‘Take The Wheel‘ premiered here last week and he has since released a stunning live video to accompany it. His evolution as an artist over the past 5 years has been prolific to say the least, and it feels as if he has hit a milestone moment in his career with this release. Featuring Paul Noonan of Bell X1 and Sinéad White, the song uses swirling synthscapes to map the lyrical content, it showcase the Daithí’s skill as both a composer and producer. It’s dance music, but instead of pandering to established formulas, the beat is subservient to the words.
