The Goo 1
Reviews contd.. Emileo - ‘Youssef’ Emileo is a si
nger-songwriter from Berlin who has been Dublin-based for three years since Sinéad O’Connor chose her for the BA Commercial Modern Music Scholarship from BIMM Dublin. Her songs traverse around World, Tribal Beats and Alternative Electro and are capped with an extraordinary voice that recalls Bjork at its most ethereal. This song is framed by traditional Moroccan Gnawa-rhythms that merge into the spellbinding darkness of Berlin techno. Its poignancy was underlined by the earthquake that rocked the region a fortnight after Emilio’s visit and she has been very active raising money for the victims since this tragedy. A beautiful piece of work from an artist with tons of potential. PF We’re Not Together - ‘We’re Not Together’ EP Aoife Moore and Kevin Burke are a duo from County Meath (strictly friends, hence the name!) who have released a six track EP which showcases their love of a catchy melody over a few different genres. Opener ‘Bullfrog’ is a jaunty lounge number (featuring The Bonk’s Phil Christie on piano) while ‘Camomile’ has echoes of Joni and Laura Marling in its folk grooves. ‘Silver Dagger’ is pure country, a PAGE 12 nifty number that I’d love to hear with a full band arrangement, akin to the treatment the lovely folk intinged gaeilgeoir closing track ‘Ullamh, Toilteanach, Réidh’ receives. Promising! PF Annika Kilkenny - ‘Look Mom I Made It’ Annika Kilkenny hails from exactly where you think she would. ‘Look Mom I Made It’ quietly champions her success while still centering her mam as the protagonist of the song. Her gentle intonation weaves itself between the violin strings and the piano keys. The juxtaposed lyrics accentuate how superbly advanced Annika’s lyrical ability already is in this early stage. Her organic talent exudes on her debut single redefining the meaning of the word ‘effortless’. NR Saoirse Miller feat. lowkick - ‘Electricity’ Saoirse Miller depicts the beginning with a new and flickering flame on her latest release, ‘Electricity’. Her hyperbolic style encapsulates the build up of energy in a new relationship. The union of the synth and organ adds a layer of eeriness, mirroring the sceptical and hypnotic nature of what’s about to unfold. This is Saoirse’s second collaborative release with lowkick, proving a solid alliance. NR Velourias - ‘A Forest Of Lungs’ The latest single from Dublin 3 piece Velourias sees the rock outfit showcase some very catchy melodic vocal arrangements over an extremely proficient track. Building on this year's previous singles, 'We Float Down Rivers' and 'Old Age Home Lament', the Dublin 3 piece show once again with this release their knack of expertly tying together rock riffs and sonic vibes in this raw energetic, alt rock anthem. GB Scattered Ashes - ‘Take Another Piece’ 'Take Another Piece' is a ballad of sorts, one that is heavy, slow paced, with a steady drum beat and rasping guitar riff, that perfectly conveys the subject matter of the weary feeling of struggling and trying to cope with the pressures of life. The song rises to an anthemic crescendo, full of crashing cymbals and guitars, heralding another fine single from the Dublin quintet. GB Uly - ‘Sometimes Sad, Sometimes Groovy When Uly lost all of his recordings recently he refused to wallow in the misery of the mishap and instead got his act together to record this 6 track EP and what a killer it is. The two uptempo funk/ soul inspired bangers ‘Two Body Problem’ and ‘Alex’ are obvious airplay candidates but the real beauty lurks in the lo-fi, downbeat introspection on ‘All Sins Forgotten’, ‘Care For Me Carefully’, ‘33’s’ and ‘When It Feels Like We Cant’. Pop, folk, jazz and soft whispered soul combine to magical effect. This guy will go far. JB Drying Weather - ‘Foreigner For Now’ Another catchy single from the Dublin four piece who are quietly garnering a reputation for their energetic live shows. The sound is hard to pin down as its fuzzy acoustic alt rock leanings prop up multi layered harmonies to create a very likeable tune. An album is on the way we are told so defo ones to watch out for. JB Driven Snow - ‘Nothing As Hard As Love’ A wonderfully honest and insightful treatise on the tribulations and rewards of relationships from a musical and domestic partnership who dress their lyrical content in a shroud of lo-fi noodlings to consistently produce tracks that warm the heart. Kicking off with a Bowiesque Drive In Saturday doo wop down beat, the song could easily be a contender for a Twin Peaks soundtrack, though you inevitably want to hug these two rather than run into the woods looking for the Log Lady. JB