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Cork, Ireland
An Irish based alternative music blog. Music news, gigs, live reviews, album reviews... You'll find them here. If you want anything featured or removed, please shout. I hope you'll discover something new to love on this little experiment of mine. Currently editing the Music Section of the UCC Express and contributing to Motley magazine on campus, as well as writing for PopCultureMonster and 4FortyFour. Always looking for new projects so please get in touch if interested. Thanks for reading.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Quick Reviews...

Okay - I used to pride myself a little on my reviewing skills but, unforuntately, that stuff takes time. And time is not something I have much of right now. So... I'm gonna summarise my reviews on a number of albums that I got my hands on recently below.

1. O Emperor Hither Thither. The Waterford-Cork lads finally put out their long awaited record. Recalling Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Grizzly Bear, Fleet Foxes and more, the album joins the long list of great Irish records released this year. Enjoyable and accessible, the album does wane a little toward the end. Best tracks: Po, Heisenberg.


2. Warpaint: The Fool. If ever there was an over-saturated debut, this was it. NME.com and others seem to be calling it the best debut of all time - it's good, it's VERY good. But it's not the best debut I've even heard this month, let alone this year. Refreshingly, Warpaint take a different angle to the girly-indie-pop (Best Coast?) that is flooding the airwaves at the moment. Dark and brooding, these girls belong in the company of Nirvana rather than Alphabeat... Best tracks: Undertow, Shadows.



3. Darwin Deez Darwin Deez. I'm late to the Darwin party, but what a party it is. This album is fantastic. Light and airy, it is indie pop at it's very finest. It has the energy and excitement of the Strokes at their best, the catchy hooks of debut album MGMT... Darwin has taken the best aspects of the New York music soon and melted them into a wonderful, catchy, fun album. I'll fill you in on the live show after I catch him tonight! Best tracks: Constillations, Deep Sea Diver.



4. S. Carey All We Grow. Sean Carey will forever be followed by the term "the percussionist from Bon Iver", though somewhat unfairly. This is the best album to come from anyone in the Bon Iver camp since For Emma... dropped. Better than Volcano Choir, better than Gayngs. It is a soulful, intimate record in the vein of Bon Iver, but it doesn't feel like a copy. Carey's voice and lyrics are strong - not one to dismiss. Best tracks: In the Stream, All We Grow.



5. Marina & the Diamonds The Family Jewels. Now, again, VERY late to this one. I always liked Marina's singles, but assumed the album wasn't up to much. I was wrong, though not too wide of the mark. There is a lot to enjoy here, but in reality the finest moments have already flooded radios for months. Potential though - despite having next to know musical knowledge or background, Marina has crafted a very solid work here. Best tracks: Mowgli's Road, Obsessions.

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