The Goo 1
Singles Reviews PAUL FITZGERALD / NIALL MCGUIRK /
NIKKI RAYMOND / ADHAMH O CAOIMH / DAVID CARR / CRAIG MCCOMISH Tandem Felix - 'Message Of The Afternoon' Another doozy from TF’s forthcoming album There’s A New Sheriff In Town. The vibe is languorous, the playing superb, the arrangements exemplary, all adding up to one of my singles of the year so far. Now the moniker for founder member David A Tapleys solo excursions, Tandem Felix have nailed the fusion of subtle electronics with chiming acoustic instruments - Tapleys banjo playing gives this track extra elan - and heightens the anticipation for that album. Another beauty. PF Cherym - 'Taking Up Sports' A 21st Century version of the Undertones where instead of 4 men from Derry in anoraks singing about subbuteo we have women, also from Derry singing about playing sport to catch their playmate. This is more than a love song, it is a pop punk celebration of their freedom to express themselves and, like those Undertones in 1979, be ready not to take themselves too seriously. They shoot, they score! NmcG .. A POP PUNK CELEBRATION OF THEIR FREEDOM .. PAGE 10 Pa Sheehy - 'Meet Me At The Record Store' It’s not often that an artist draws inspiration from within oneself. Pa Sheehy finds himself lost in the middle of the second floor of his favourite record shop, the very place he frequented as a teenager. Bowie’s Hunky Dory, the soundtrack to this particular vinyl record store and his teenhood, would end up playing a formative role in the years that would follow for Pa so he takes this moment to pay homage to its significance. This track is a selfsoother, flavoured with Pa’s serene tone and tranquil guitar. NR Hozier - 'Unknown / Nth' I had the privilege of hearing this song when Hozier debuted it before its release during his warm-up shows in The Academy earlier this year. Hozier has a gift for upcycling sorrow into serenity and it’s no different on ‘Unknown / Nth’. His fingerpicking perfection prevails, lulling us into a susurrant soundscape. The song explodes halfway through gripping on heartstrings yet somehow he weaves them back together. We are in for a treat when he releases his third studio album, Unreal Unearth, on 18th August. NR Sweetlemondae - 'Turn The World' Sweetlemondae is set to be the next household name nationwide. She’s no rookie when it comes to rapping either. With diction to die for along whopper beats, this anthemic track is the ultimate hype song. ‘Turn The World’ is spectacularly produced by Benza, so much that you could almost mistake it for a Beyoncé number. It also happens to be the official feature track to RTÉ’s coverage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup this year. COYGIG! NR RaYche P - 'Bigotry & Blood EP' Lyrically the emerging Limerick born singer, rapper, songwriter and producer RaYche P pulls no punches, tearing into all our nation's sacred cows while fighting for an acceptance of a diversity that, in vicious hands, has seen untold trauma to countless citizens of our country, including the narrator. Her delivery is a mix of melodic singing and visceral wordplay over various sub genres of urban and the gravitas of this project is aided and abetted by stellar contributions from uilleann piper wunderkind Tara Howley and Miss Panti. The spirit of Sinead lives on in artists such as RaYche P. PF Follow up to the acclaimed ‘Daylight Robbery’ single which introduced the formerly London/Berlin based punk/pop trio with a bang. Expiry follows the same suit, all swagger and sweat which, when rolled into a joint that screams for ageism to be knocked on the head, makes a very pleasing racket indeed. Sure to be a live favourite, ‘Expiry’ keeps the Havvk produce nicely in date. PF Amy Ellen - 'Leave Me' A stylistic hop, skip and a jump (in the right direction) sees the Irish singer/ songwriter Amy Ellen embrace a far grittier sound than heard previously and it works really well. Now living in the Alpine idylls of France, Amy’s new single is her first output from her home studio and its immediacy is captured succinctly on a track that opens in an ethereal Mazzy Star style before simmering in an American 90s alt rock cauldron. The gas is ratcheted up further as it boils over into a harmonious, shoegazey chorus that surely signals this artist’s calling. Voilà! PF .. GRITTIER SOUND.. Havvk - 'Expiry'