Tonight’s ‘Best Of’ finale offers precisely what the organisation strive to present annually – a selection of the most exciting new Irish acts.
Opening quartet The Kinetiks straddle the stage just the way you’d imagine younger siblings of The Kooks might. Musically everything is in its right place, and tracks like ‘Bite The Bullet’ reveal steady, energetic songwriting behind the feet-pointing-inward posturing.
A twenty-odd minute set is too brief to form a conclusive judgement on any act, especially a fresh-faced quintet like Cashier No.9.
“This is our first gig in Dublin,” proffers lead singer Daniel Todd backstage. “We’re looking to follow it up with some supports with the likes of Jape and Dry County soon.” Their humble folk/indie sound, evocative of Simple Kid and The Beta Band, radiates enough understated charm to make the prospect of more extensive gigging outside of their native Belfast an enticing one.
Whether Halves like it or not, people are always likely to mention Sigur Rós when attempting to describe their icy aesthetic. The more their set progresses, the more they begin to sound closer to those other Icelandic eggheads MÚM, with the focus shifting to digital percussion and folksy poptronica.
The Brothers Movement are the first act to appear at ease in the venue’s indifferent environment, transforming it into a den of seamy, atmospheric swirl. The immaculate ‘War And Peace’ sees Conor Paxton eking out the warmest of bass grooves below brother Neil’s soulful vocal purr.
The ex-Mainliners are arguably the most seasoned performers on the bill, but they’re not at all blasé about playing the sort of event that tends to be associated with ‘fresh’ talent.
“Every gig is of massive importance to this band, because we are a new band and we’re starting from scratch, and we want everyone to know that and hear that,” insists bassist Conor offstage.
New Amusement are purveyors of edgy pop, atmospheric ballads and angular, percussive rhythms, all of which are served well by guitarist Darragh Clabby’s intricate arpeggios. ‘Gone To Sea’ reeks of Bloc Party’s ‘This Modern Love’, but overall the band’s accomplished performance belies their relative inexperience.
Much more loose and exposed than their counterparts allow themselves to be, Grand Pocket Orchestra reveal themselves as a band informed by the taut art-punk and lo-fi spirit of groups like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Los Campesinos! Frontman Pa’s yelpy vocals become quite grating on the less melodic songs, and a troublesome sound mix doesn’t quite harness the momentum the band clearly strive to maintain.
Fortunately, the placing of Hybrasil as the final act proves a wise choice. The bouncy dance-pop outfit treat the audience to a set of all-new material that recalls both New Order and Depeche Mode at their most agreeable, with ‘Make The Breaking Sound’ concluding a marvellous closing slot.
Dave Fanning, who has been involved with the IMRO showcase tour since its inception, observed all seven performances intently and appears genuinely impressed. So how do the current crop of emerging acts compare to the bundles of demos Dave used to sift through at 2fm in the ’80s and ’90s?
“Well there are some obvious differences. Nowadays the artwork is better, the photos are better, and the production is much better. Musically are they better? Do you know something? They actually are. I shouldn’t say this, but I’m really starting to think that they are.”