The Goo 1
Interview words: Dan Hegarty UNO, DOS, TRES Whipp
ing Boy - ‘Whipping Boy’ (2000) Arriving in 2000 after the band had fallen inactive, this self-titled record is a lot better than history would suggest. It doesn’t have the angst of their debut or the beautiful ferocity of ‘Heartworm’, but it does have an essence that suggests that this band still had more in them should they have continued to make music together. The Cranberries - ‘To The Faithful Departed’ (1996) After the success that their first two albums brought the Limerick band came an album that continued their ascent to becoming one of the most successful bands of the decade. Tracks like ‘Hollywood’ and ‘Free To Decide’ are among the best songs that the band wrote. Fontaines D.C. - ‘Skinty Fia’ (2022) 2022 saw the release of ‘Skinty Fia’ from Fontaines D.C. It was their third album in four years, and highlighted their growing curiosity with experimentation in both sound and musical themes. Featuring the mechanical beauty of ‘Nabakov’ and the title track, alongside the more conventional ‘Roman Holiday’ and ‘I Love You’, they struck a perfect balance. Nina Hynes & The Husbands - ‘Really Really Do’ (2007) Depending on whether you consider Nina’s 1999 release ‘Creation’ an album or EP, ‘Really Really Do’ is either her second or third album. For the sake of this piece, let’s say it’s a mini-album. ‘Really Really Do’ is best described as a sonic adventure, full of glorious pop tunes and imagery. It has aged exceptionally well considering the recent advances in technology. 30 Gavin Friday - ‘Shag Tobacco’ (1995) Here’s an album that was counter flow to everything else in the year 1995. It somehow managed to blend influences as diverse as Massive Attack, Jacques Brel and Marc Bolan, and create something truly intoxicating. In 2024 Friday would bring us his ‘ECCE HOMO’ album, which is similarly captivating. HAVVK - ‘To Fall Asleep’ (2024) If you were to play this album to someone who hadn’t heard of HAVVK before, and told them that the band were selling out arenas all over the world, there’s a strong chance that they’d believe you. While they haven’t managed that yet, ‘To Fall Asleep’ has the songs and the swagger that could catapult this band into that stratosphere.