See the end of the post for the Weekly Playlist featuring all the tracks I loved this week.
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For Those I Love
Off The Sorrows
Dave Balfe’s first song in four years is about staying or leaving Dublin’s doom-laden increasingly unliveable streets.
‘Of The Sorrows’ is our first clue, a song which addresses the economic reality that forces young people to move away from their homeland, the push and pull of pained emigration – “I’ll never leave / I have to leave,” Balfe screams in a howl of catharsis, as the song builds to an Irish-trad infused crescendo.
His pain is personal, but not unique, as it’s keenly felt by fellow Dubliners, and those who see the city’s best of brightest people and places replaced by dereliction and homogeny.
Paul Kenny added additional production and Cathal Caulfield played fiddle playing.
The title comes from the Irish myth Deirdre of the Sorrows.
Turnstile
Look Out For Me
![TURNSTILE - LOOK OUT FOR ME [OFFICIAL VIDEO]](https://nialler9.com/wp-content/cache/flying-press/hfrnipyNcu0-hqdefault.jpg)
The latest’s from Turnstile’s forthcoming Never Enough record, surely one of the justifiably hyped releases of the year at this point, is a tune that manages to channel a ‘Testify’-esque Rage Against The Machine big rock riff with the band’s trademark gossamer synth tones, an actor from The Wire reprising their dialogue from the TV how (shot in Baltimore, the band’s hometown and host to their recent free live Wyman Park concert) and a closing passage featuring percussive house rhythms and bleeps ( the band did previously collaborate on an EP with Mall Grab).
Another beautiful video too after the title track, ‘Birds’ and ‘Seeing Stars’.
Sofia Kourtesis, Daphni
Unidos
The lead track from the Peruvian electronic producer’s forthcoming new EP Volver (August 1st), is a disco-sampling collaboration with Dan Snaith (Caribou / Daphni) – it’s got that requisite sunny summer energy.
Wolf Alice
Bloom Baby Bloom
It’s Wolf Alice in Ireland week as the band are playing their first shows in a few years in Ireland before a larger tour and Dublin date, and of the release Greg Kurstin-produced fourth album The Clearing.
‘Bloom Baby Bloom’ is their comeback song, one that appears to absorbed the histrionic rock of newcomers The Last Dinner Party as a starting blueprint, expanding the classic highwire ’70s rock with Ellie Rowsell’s raspy vocal performance yearning to grow into full bloom.
Do I have to make you sit on your hands?
Fucking baby, baby man
Do you want me to show you who I am?
See this fire in my eyes, boy?
That’s your flash in the pan
Erika De Casier
You Can’t Always Get What You Want
The Swedish alt-pop singer and producer released a surprise album Lifetime on her own label Independent Jeep Music, that explores early 90s R&B sounds and trip-hop in a glossy vocal fashion.
It’s a record full of vibey songs like th ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want,’ a pop hook-filled Enigma-channeling new agey pop highlight.
Songs I also loved this week:
Also added to this week’s playlist:
- Kae Tempest – Know Yourself
- Little Simz – Young
- Lauer – Gammelan 25
- Nourished by Time – Max Potential
- Erika de Casier – The Garden
- Projective – Motions
- Scuba – Animatronic
- Mhaol – 1 800-Call-Me-Back
- Ólafur Arnalds; Talos – Signs
- Kean Kavanagh – Father Brown’s
- Morgana – Nothing Kills A Party Like A Song
- Homeboy Sandman; Brand The Builder; Georgia Anne Muldrow – Artillery
- ULTRA MIA – Britney
- Weval – JUST FRIENDS
- Kieran Hebden; William Tyler – If I Had a Boat
Nialler9 Weekly Playlist
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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.
