Annuals
There’s an internet buzz growing about this band from North Carolina and it’s wholly justified. They were featured on Pitchfork and Spin in the same week. What caught me was Pitchfork’s description as “Like some fantasy hybrid of Animal Collective, the Arcade Fire, and Broken Social Scene”. That’s an amalgamation of three of my favourite bands so naturally I was intrigued. So I popped on their track ‘Brother’.
And I’m hooked.. ambient outdoor noise gives way to plucking guitar, backwards sounding strings leading to an almighty “GO!” from 19 year old singer Adam Baker, a plodding guitar fueled Animal Collective moment complete with exultant vocals. It’s the first song from their forthcoming He Be Me album due October 17. I’ve had the pleasure of listening to last year’s Lay Down Dry album and it brims with uniqueness and charm. I love the lo-fi experimentation backing the genuinely good songs. ‘Dry Clothes’ is another favourite and features an acoustic riff that will stay in your head for days as will the ending mantra-like refrain. ‘Ida My’ is a lovely acoustic song with BSS-esque bass and a smattering of electronic noise to take it home. They’re going to be big. Watch this space.
[Myspace | Official Site | Ace Fu – Label site]
MP3s
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Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.