It’s no secret that some bands struggle when it comes to making a second album. Instrumental, post-rock bands in particular tend to have trouble keeping that spark of excitement and invention alive and frequently end up being eclipsed by newer, fresher, and usually louder acts as a result. With Ireland swarming with a multitude of groups from that aforementioned genre right now, album number two from Co.

Wicklow’s Enemies was always going to be a game-charger for them, one way or another. Happily, Embark, Embrace is a massive step up for the band and sees them buck that ‘difficult second album syndrome’ with glee. Over the course of 10 tracks they announce their return in an often mesmerising fashion.
Taken as a whole, this is a starry-eyed, sci-fi spectacular, which sounds almost like a futuristic alien lullaby in places. Opening with the glockenspiel-led, ethereal ‘Intro’, a guest vocal (yep, vocal) from Cast Of Cheers’ Conor Adams on ‘Executive Cut’ tells us that all bets are off – and from there we’re treated to a spiralling soundtrack which features plenty of guitar heroics (minus the shredding) on the likes of ‘Beacher’, emotive, grandiose threnodies (‘Moesha’, ‘North West’) and there’s even some slightly gothic-y goings on ‘Nighthalks’, which has some frighteningly good spectral vocals courtesy of Heathers. Imbued with an infectious, relentless positivity throughout, Embark, Embrace is a deceptively delicate record. it’s sure to win Enemies plenty of new friends.

Key Track: ‘Nighthalks’