The Goo 1
Zoé Basha – Gamble - Christian Wethered Zoé Basha
’s debut album Gamble, is a slow-burning and beautifully unsettled collection that moves fluidly across folk, jazz and blues without ever settling into one form. Previously a member of the quietly remarkable group Rufous Nightjar with Anna Mieke and Ailbhe Nic Oireachtaigh, Basha emerges here as a songwriter and singer of real distinction, unafraid of vulnerability or stillness. The album opens a cappella with the traditional ‘Love Is Teasin’’. It’s a striking, intimate beginning that sets the tone for what follows. She opened her Sugar Club launch with the same song, seated and unaccompanied, drawing the room in before the full band joined her. The set was full of energy and wit, but always carried a current of restlessness beneath the surface. The instrumentation throughout is subtle and spacious. Tracks like ‘Come Find Me Lonesome’ lean into a loose, soulful rhythm with warm organ, upright bass and brushed drums giving the song a soft swing. ‘Worried’ pares everything back to guitar and voice, leaving space for doubt to echo. ‘Three Little Babes’ reimagines the traditional ballad with layered harmonies, harmonium and fiddle, keeping its strangeness intact. The playing across the record is relaxed but precise, capturing that elusive mix of craft and looseness. At the centre of it all is Basha’s voice. Smoky, agile and capable of shifting between styles without effort, it guides the album through its emotional terrain. Gamble listens, wanders and lets the silences do some of the talking. Danny Groenland - Burning Rome - Mia Grabow Danny Groenland’s Burning Rome is a soul-stirring, groove-driven album that feels like a heartfelt response to a world on fire. The Dublin-based artist blends influences like Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder with his own voice across funk, soul, jazz, and protest, creating something that never sacrifices rhythm for rhetoric. The opener, ‘Chip In’, carries a hopeful, percussive energy, even as it hints at quiet desperation. ‘Mr. Loaded’ delivers a sharp critique of wealth hoarding and late capitalism. Then there’s ‘No Word’, an emotional tribute to Palestine, layered with protest recordings, Arabic musical touches, and an unshakable heartbeat rhythm. What really stands out is how well the album balances contrasts—joy and grief, urgency and warmth, personal storytelling and political critique. Despite tackling weighty themes, Groenland keeps it moving. Tracks like ‘Never Going Home’ prove protest music can be both emotionally rich and irresistibly catchy. This isn’t background music. It calls for awareness —not with noise, but with craft. Burning Rome is bold, generous, and urgently relevant. It’s for those who are paying attention—and for those who need to start. The Skalps - Dreamscapes and Landscapes - Niall McGuirk Dublin ska meisters The Skalps have self-released their debut record as a double album. 13 originals and a cover thrown in for good measure. The guitars skank along to that trademark ska sound with Tommy’s vocals high in the mix. Mixed in Pete Holidai’s Pilgrim Studios this sounds just as good as those records the band pay homage to. It bounces along like The Beat or a latter-day Madness with a groove to get you bopping around your kitchen. Shane O’Connor’s keyboards give the songs layers of sound along with the trio of brass. “Nothing Stays The Same” is a particular highlight with an uptempo dancing sound bound to brighten up those summer nights. Support the local scene and think of those Dreamscapes to put a smile on your face along with Landscapes to drift along to. 14