Dublin four-piece Kaplin are the kind of outfit you might expect to come across in a backstreet bar in a dusty Arizona border-town, playing for beer and burritos. If it’s not a contradiction in terms, they sound even more authentic than the real thing and come across as genuine contenders.
They successfully blend rockers and ballads with equal skill and fervour. ‘Falling Down Your Stairs’ is a smouldering opener, while ‘Stolen Angels’ and ‘Rumble Of Rosary’ rip things up nicely. The mariachi trumpet on ‘Frozen Sand’ gives it a Calexico feel; the frantic country rock of ‘Pylons Purples & Pinks’ sounds like early Wilco, while fans of Gram Parsons will savour country rockers such as ‘Easy Lover’ and ‘Turnstile In The Road’. A fantastic debut!