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MAR-APR 24 exact moments needed to change the ori
ginal delivery whilst keeping its elements of perfection just the same. Fight like Apes weave a synth tapestry that sounds sublime and is the ying to the yang of O’Connor’s clinical pen picture. AM Unstuck - ‘Water Tower’ The Mayglass Water Tower… undisputed civil engineering masterwork, and the closest thing to a skyline I could ever gaze at.” The inspiration for Unstuck’s fan favourite and latest single ‘Water Tower’. A stand out track from the Wexford trio’s live shows, ‘Water Tower’ is a perfect case study of the band’s distinctive approach to vocals. Syncopation and vocal parrying is abound in Unstucks catalogue, ‘Water Tower’ probably being the most brash example with its mid 90s inflections and accents; the band themselves citing Pavement, Ween and Primus as pairing notes for potential new fans, but for my money the powerful low end of this latest single is more akin to Breeders’ Cannonball or even The Stone Roses’ Fools Gold. It’s true the most immediate comparisons that come to mind for Unstuck tend to be smartly dishevelled young men of the 90s, but hidden just behind are hints of a potentially more psychedelic influence. Songs From Part Two: Part One releases April 12th 2024. EG Trophy Wife - ‘Showpony EP’ Dublin indie-pop titan Trophy Wife has released her sophomore EP Showpony. Incorporating elements of y2k indie pop naivety as it basks in nostalgia with tracks like ‘Drug Dog’ and ‘Showpony’ recalling influences such as Liz Phair and The La’s. Showpony renegotiates our previous expectations of Trophy Wife, allowing her to lean into indie rock sentiments, unlike prior projects, ‘Partygirl’ encapsulates both the gauzy bedroom pop of 2020’s Art while nurturing the edge of Showpony. SD Basht. - ‘Dirty White Lies – EP’ I caught these fruits of a summer recording session in a November slot in The Button Factory. ‘Gone Girl’ really pops; The vocals have a bite, the imposing bass has an edge, the drums are fast and punchy, coming together in a QotSA way. ‘Wild Horses’ is excellent, mature and lengthy with a notable guitar solo, channelling Pearl Jam, as does the strong final track ‘TIAY’. A superior EP from an exciting band. DC R. Kitt - ‘So True/Wash’ Perhaps better known for his efforts with the #GiveUsTheNight campaign in recent times. Robbie Kitt is back, showcasing two cracking tracks from what will form an album release next year. ‘So True’ is a subtly smooth breakbeat track, where Robbie allows his voice to be a focal point for the first time. ‘Wash’ is full of texture and depth, lifting sounds from nature. A track that’s both comforting and menacing. DC OWLS - ‘Body Bags’ The darkwave producer from Longford has released this synthpunk protest song, largely informed by the unfolding events in Gaza. “It explores the human condition and our ability to inflict pain and suffering upon the most vulnerable”. OWLS screams ‘Satan, they won’t have us, Body bags, they won’t have us, Bloodshed, they won’t have us, Hell won’t have us’ over relentless thumping beats and piercing, pulsating synths. Watch the macabre video shot by Nathan Sheridan. DC Cardinals - ‘Unreal’ Fuzzy shoegaze is crystalised in this Cork band’s song ‘Unreal’. The jangly My Bloody Valentine inspired chords mixed with the Midwest emo-style vocals of Euan Manning alongside lyrics perfectly describing the ever-present disconnect from society that a lot of us young people feel, it’s a song that’ll fit right into your daily listening playlist (and also the one you have a bit of an existential crisis to). DS Stray Planets - ‘I Liked You Better Before’ Another beauty from John Butler a.k.a Stray Planets. His last single - the fab ‘Glowing Rectangles’ - showcased his punk/ funk side but this new track reveals a gentler side while gently travelling across terrain more associated with the kind of skewed Americana that gave us Grandaddy or more recently Mac De Marco. The lyrics and chord changes mirror the songs oddball heartbeat to give us a somewhat nihilistic anthem that will appeal to many. PF Mayonnaise - ‘AI Friend’ Mayonnaise is the musical moniker of Dubliner Will O'Donovan who worked with Soul II Soul, Howie B, Goldie, Bowie et al. when he worked in London back in the late 90's. He has been quietly releasing his own music sporadically for a few years now but with the imminent release of his EP 'Rinse' O'Donovan looks to be ramping it up and there could be live dates announcements soon. ‘AI Friend’ is the first single from the EP and it's a total melodic earworm, big guitar chords with dystopian lyrics over a motorik pulse. Check out the big beat Howie B remix too. PF PAGE 11