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.
Spies
Broadstone
More material from Spies forthcoming debut LP Constancy. ‘Broadstone’ is an exhilarating indie track. Lead singer Michael Broderick’s delivery is a stand out feature, at times howling above the whirling synth lines which pepper the track. It’s fantastic to hear the group incorporate so much percussion sounds too, they give the early stages of the track a distinctly Reflector era Arcade Fire feel. Spot on.
2.
Pecking Party
Night
Dublin-based electro-indie group Pecking Party have been making moves ahead of the release of their debut EP Send Nudes this Thursday. ‘Night’ blends fantastic breakbeat drum patterns with a dark electro sensibility. There’s a real power in that synth bass tone, a spookiness that matches lead singer Ciara Ryan’s misty vocal delivery. Fingers crossed the rest of the EP is as good as this single.
3.
Thumper
(You’re Bringing Me) Down
Our favourite bubblegum pop group Thumper are back with ‘(You’re Bringing Me) Down’. It’s seven minutes long and every second of it is justified. The track has all the band’s calling card features. Hyperactive guitar riffs, awash with fuzz, dance atop a rock solid drum beat. There’s even some fantastic wah-wah guitars thrown into the mix. The extended breakdown in the middle section, alternating between some precise guitar arpeggios and snatches of distorted lead lines finds the group sounding the tightest they ever have. Not for the faint of heart, but the group never really have been.
4.
Hats
Today
Need something to help you get over the mid-week hump? Try on Dublin-based Hats’ ‘Today’ for size. Nearly seven minutes of exhilarating dance music belted out to a visual guide through Dublin by night. Classic house hi-hat patterns and a chopped vocal sample play off one another while washed out synths provide a continual sense of progression. That relentless arpeggiated bass tone is the absolute stand out feature here. If that doesn’t perk you up, nothing will.
5.
Jim Dollard
No Mail Today
Closing out our list for this week is Kilkenny MC Jim Dollard’s ‘No Mail Today’. A lo-fi hip-hop track, ‘No Mail Today’ is built upon a woozy instrumental, fitted with plenty of vinyl crackle for good measure. There’s a strong melancholy which underpins the lyrical content on the track. The artist is trying to come to grips with the doubts which so often plague new writers. We’re hoping he’ll pull through and keep producing, there’s plenty to like here.
