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SOUNDS GOOD Mark Conroy Andrew Lambert Finghín Li
ttle Talos Dear Chaos [BMG] Elaine Howley The Distance Between Heart and Mouth [Touch Sensitive] On Dear Chaos, Talos, Cork-based Eoin French, floats through several moods; soft and sullen. The LP hits some rather poignant peaks, notably the satisfying closing segment of Kites, which draws a brief song out with a welcomely lengthy and ethereal string coda. In a striking contrast, the soft, balanced whorls of a detuned organ keep Evening afloat before its meandering verve gives way to a burst of energy in its final bridge. Farewell / Kamikaze pulses with warm, swelling synths. Here, with French’s Corconian lilt at its most audible, we hear another uplifting and expert vocal performance. While well-executed production tips this track as a highlight, All Ours, the preceding single, touches on a similar atmosphere to the former. His singing reaches an emotional apex, lending it a stirring sense of drama and an anthemic soulfulness, while the apt addition of Lisa Hannigan’s voice on closer Crows makes for a most welcome finish. But the other single, Dance Against the Calm is the clear highlight: delicate lo-fi guitar is bolstered by understated, elegant songwriting, pairing well with its emotionally erratic video, equal parts frustration, isolation, and depression. Subtle string swells and harmonic backing vocals drive this song’s healing mood, matching the warming resolution of the video. The singles certainly punch above their weight, but the album feels less stimulating when French’s songwriting seems less inspired, like in the muted and tortuous atmospheres of the two opening tracks. Still, moments of remarkable clarity make for a touching listen. FL The first sounds we hear on Elaine Howley’s debut solo record are gliding synths reminiscent of that iconic intro to Pet Shop Boys’ West End Girls. Intentional or not, it’s a melodic statement out of the gates that Howley isn’t merely recreating the fearsome art punk of The Altered Hours, the band she’s a founding member of. Don’t fret, she’s not harking back to the glossypop of the 1980’s like so many are these days. Opener Silent Talk soon drifts into a lush cacophony built on a foundation of old-school, Vangelisesque electronics and anchored by vocals that sound as if sung from the depths of an Irish loch. It’s a terrific primer for The Distance Between Heart and Mouth, and a delightfully drowsy, daring avant-pop song if ever there was one. Howley mostly keeps it up for the other eight tracks. She also proves to us she has not lost any of her altrock bona fides. An unexpected but muted bout of guitar shredding will give you a jolt on Autumn Speak, a glitchy tune built on unnerving, looping rhythms. Song for Mary Black is another hazy gem with a gorgeous central motif that Bon Iver would be proud of. For the most part, this is ambient music in a more literal sense than the house subgenre. One refrain has our singer musing on how “pools of water” and “mists of cloud” can be “obscured” presumably by artists into a shape they see fit. The moody, sometimes icy-cold lo-fi seems to capture the chilly, unforgiving beauty of wintry Irish midlands. MC Sorcha Richardson Smiling Like An Idiot [Faction Records] Much like any debuting artist at the tail end of the last decade, Sorcha Richardson’s skywards trajectory came to a halt when the world hit pause in early 2020. It’s easy to forget the pensive selfportraits wrapped in disarmingly sticky hooks that led First Prize Bravery to a Choice Prize nomination and wide acclaim in late 2019, but Richardson’s absorbing sophomore record brings it all rushing back in spades. Smiling Like An Idiot finds the songwriter back home, writing vividly of Trinity College and Tara Street as opposed to the bright lights of New York and Los Angeles encountered on her debut. The backdrop of Dublin proves an inspired setting as Richardson contemplates love of a place as well as a particular person throughout this highly engaging sequel. Manoeuvring around a deftly developed palette of indie folk, bedroom rock, alt-pop, electronica and everything between, Smiling Like An Idiot not only reveals a sonic progression in Richardson but a narrative one too. Written and recorded from the home-built studio in her late grandparents living room, these eleven introspective tales detail the fun and fear that comes in hand with new romance, with individual chapters functioning as short stories within a greater whole that concludes in a beautifully optimistic ending. Possessing all the wry wit and beguiling charm of First Prize Bravery with a richer quality both in scope and sound, Smiling Like An Idiot is an impressive artistic statement from one of the deepest thinkers in the current Irish musical landscape. AL CLICK IT OUT… 46 We know it and so should you food, fashion, photography, film, books, magazines, music, design, drink and a curated section of events for you to consider www.totallydublin.ie