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AUDIO Killian Barry Zara Hedderman Andrew Lambert
FLYING THE FLAG II Lily Allen No Shame [Parlophone] In distancing herself from 2014’s poorly received Sheezus, Lily Allen’s follow-up is a disarming change of tack. The Londoner hasn’t entirely dispensed with her patented streetwise truculence, but true to its title, No Shame is a candid and sometimes jaded concoction that dials down the acerbic sideswipes to reflect on self-destructive behaviour, motherhood and the end of her marriage. Admirably steering clear of mawkishness, Allen even concludes No Shame in open-ended fashion, outlining the promise of a new relationship. Musically, Allen’s template of pithy shade-throwFLYING THE FLAG As fashion purveyors go, there are few facets of this industry that Naoise Farrell hasn’t crossed into. Her post-grad trajectory has seen her preemptively break the bubble that most artistic communities suffer from, evading any one-trick-pony titles through her varied pursuits. From freelance, film costume designer to fastfashion tailoring assistant, delving into e-commerce and luxury-fashion domains thereafter, Farrell – currently based in Zurich – covered the whole spectrum of the supply chain. Her myriad workplaces may have differed in scale and substance, but one thought struck Farrell across each environment - the in-house conversations rarely dipped into current affairs. This observation became part of the impetus for her latest project, Hot Potato: a bi-annual, bi-lingual publication formatted as half-newspaper, half-fashion magazine, whose topics stretch from Trump to the Sports section. With a Sinead Burke portrait by Sibeal Devitt neighbouring a New York-based interview with NASA climatologist Gavin Schmidt, Farrell perfectly captures where fashion print needs to go. hotpotatonews.com ing atop calypso-ska and electropop broadens to embrace grime and tropical flourishes. Introspective ballads unexpectedly occupy a mellow midsection, while restrained dancehall numbers offer a link to the album’s predecessors. En route, the familiar stamp of producers including Mark Ronson and Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig catches the ear. By flipping the script and rejecting the Lily Allen brand, the 33-year-old has not only outlasted her mid-aughts peers, but issued a retort to the sceptics who had written her off. Accessible without being punchy, No Shame is admittedly hampered by a lack of obvious singles and less immediate payoff. Nevertheless, one must admire Allen’s non-mercenary insistence on making the music she wants to make. Even in the absence of bangers or her brash persona, Lily Allen remains defiant and unapologetic as ever. KB Like this? Try these? Ms Dynamite - A Little Deeper Kate Nash - Yesterday Was Forever Mark Ronson - Record Collection Lykke Li so sad so sexy [RCA] Fans of Lykke Li’s prior releases may find her fourth, so sad so sexy, unsettling. Li has undergone a drastic rebranding, swapping sweet earworm pop-songs (2011’s I Follow Rivers still soundtracks every DJ set, globally) for grittier R’n’B beats. Enlisting Skrillex and Rostam on production, these songs have been developed with Frank Ocean, Drake, Kanye West and Lady Gaga’s hit-making tempos in mind. It may not please her pre-existing fanbase but it will certainly find an audience. ZH Snail Mail Lush [Matador] While her peers prepared for end of year exams, eighteen-year-old Lindsay Jordan released her debut album Lush through the label that both Kim Gordon and Kurt Vile are signed to. A concise thirty-eight minutes sees Snail Mail power through punchy guitar driven indie-pop songs akin to contemporaries Soccer Mommy and Girlpool, but with better hooks. Highlights include the lo-fi lament of Intro and Heat Wave’s buoyant licks. Overall, a thrilling introduction that will surely garner a devout following. ZH Sinead Burke has had a year of somersaulting success. Her ability to spellbind audiences with articulate commentaries, instigating well-overdue conversations on the need to diversify design, has been exhibited – at least domestically – for years now, but it was her eloquent TED talk in June 2017, the eye-opening “Why Design Should Include Everyone”, which saw her enrapture new legions of listeners across the globe (1.2 million, to be exact). To trace Burke’s appearances and accolades since then is a dizzying endeavour, as a by-stander alone. She captivated on the Business Of Fashion Voices stage last December with her “Designing for Disability” monologue, spoke at Davos the month after as the sole Irish female delegate, starred in a special print issue of BOF with two of fashion’s favourite Tims (Blanks, journalist and Walker, photographer), landed a place on the Vogue 25 list and was later announced as British Vogue’s new contributing editor… all whilst continuing her PHD in Trinity. Only a portion of her design pioneering could be documented here (her current projects could only be disclosed privately), but keep a very close eye on next year’s movements – with Burke at the sheering wheel, this industry is primed to take a leap towards inclusivity. @thesineadburke Pusha T DAYTONA. [Getting Out Our Dreams, Inc./Def Jam Recordings] On DAYTONA., Pusha T demonstrates again why he may be the most underrated rapper in the game during an exhilarating 21-minute exercise in minimalism, thanks in no small part to a major assist from long-time friend and mentor Kanye West. Ye tees up seven immaculate beats for Push to knock out of the park with an old school, no-nonsense mentality perfectly complimented by his signature intensity and ferocious delivery. AL Kamasi Washington Heaven and Earth [Young Turks] Save the Date… Sunday 16th, when the Velvet Collective - a multifarious salon of fashion, design and discourse - will claim an afternoon’s residency in the Irish Museum of Modern Art. From 11am. #VelvetCollective Revered saxophonist, Kamasi Washington promptly follows last year’s Harmony of Difference EP with this double release, Heaven and Earth. Both albums evolved from Washington’s desire to examine the world he is part of, and which is part of him. These sixteen sprawling compositions are fantastically frantic free expressions of jazz. There are a few surprise solos throughout, notably Connections’ 1970s classic rock guitar riffs which feels a little out of place. Even to non-jazz fans, Kamasi Washington’s refined improvisation is accessible to all. ZH endless mimosas with brunch 10 Terenure Road East • Rathgar • Dublin 6 • T: 01-406 4104 • www.therevolution.ie Open 7 Days 80