The Goo 1
Reviews Singles Hibsen - 'Eveline' ‘Eveline’ is t
he latest single from Hibsen, the brainchild of Jim Murphy and Grainne Hunt. It is based on the Joyce short story and written from the perspective of Eveline’s lover Frank. Wrapped in a John Denver-esque melody and folk-ballad instrumentation including guitar, piano and strings, it perfectly showcases the relevance of a story such as Eveline’s as this experience is shared by any Irish person who has set foot on a port chasing a better life abroad. CMcC The Amniotics - 'Boomerang' 'Boomerang' is the perfect introduction to the songwriting chops of the Amniotics, opening with a weighty Bass figure while guitars swagger in the mix and make themselves known before the almost spoken Mhaol-like vocal delivery. While setting itself in a uniquely Dublin 8 landscape with references to NCAD, and the Irish student lifestyle, 'Boomerang' boasts an immensely chantable chorus, bookended by a hooky guitar fuzz surf-rock figure. Think Mhaol, Runaways, Wet Leg and Avengers (not the superheroes). CMcC Daniel Luke - 'Chatterbox' ‘Chatterbox’ is the latest release from Daniel Luke’s solo piano works following, singles ‘Shadow Dance’ and ‘Heather’. By contrast, ‘Chatterbox’ is a much more talkative, close proximity upright piano piece, almost Dickensian in feel with a lot of the signature Chromaticism and liveliness from ‘Shadow Dance’, seeding along hallmarks of the composer. Immensely listenable alongside previous singles with it’s warmer tone and player POV mixing, right down to the audible hammer lifting. CMcC Anie Valentine - 'Boys' Following the release of ‘Ending things’ last year, ‘Boys’ is the creative sequel to the Anie Valentine radioactivity. Production wise, the song is attentive, delivering Fuelled by Ramen with the sensibilities of radio-ready pop, keeping the momentum and greatly supporting the conjunctive Hole/ Distillers delivery of the melodic figure. ‘Boys’ shares Anie’s direct and conjunctive vocal style and allows the song to become much more anthemic, as anyone who tried to follow Hayley Williams through Misery Business will contest to. CMcC PAGE 10 Cinder Well - 'A Scorched Lament' ‘A Scorched Lament’ begins with a solo Acapella vocal, creatively leaning into the proximity and closeness of what is an intimate Transatlantic folk ballad. The emotive and airy vocal performance envelopes while the arrangement introduces a bright and supportive acoustic guitar, building to a full traditional ensemble with rich modern production and cinematic strings. Think the emotive lyrical deliveries of Lee DeWyze or Paul Simon’s ‘American Tune’ merged with a more chilled out Moxie. CMcC Lankum - 'Newcastle' ‘Newcastle’ is Dublin quartet Lankum’s latest single from the hotly anticipated album False Lankum, which follows 2019’s critically acclaimed The Livelong Day. A brooding and tense reimagining of the traditional piece, ‘Newcastle’ features a captivating vocal performance and fingerpicked acoustic guitar over a rich and eerie bed of burring and droning synths which evolve in the background of the piece. ‘Newcastle’ is synonymously adventurous and beautifully showcases the malleability of a traditional artform. CMcC CRAIG MCCOMISH / PAUL FITZPATRICK / NIKKI RAYMOND / ALAN MONNELLY / ADHAMH O’CAOIMH / DAVE GRIFFIN Yenkee - 'If Looks Could Kill' Yet another classy release from the creative world of Graham Cooney, the Cork born, London based producer who has nailed the late 90’s/ early 00’s American lo-fi aesthetic while blasting it with a fresh dream pop breeze. There’s hooks a plenty on this 3 minute slice of superbly produced slacker pop and it has a killer guitar solo. Remember them?!!. PF Grian Chatten - 'The Score' Grian Chatten’s distinct vocals featured on high profile collaborations with Leftfield and Kae Tempest last year and the results were electric. In this, his first solo release, the softer side of his vocal range combines with heartfelt lyrics and warm instrumentation. Chatten’s songcraft is precise and measured and creates a reassuring fluidity within this song. This song has a ‘submerged’ feel to it, it kind of wraps you up in its melody and when it ends you feel you want to hear it again. An impressive alchemy between the seemingly simple components of this song creates a beautiful song worthy of time and attention. AM