From the label that brought you New Thoughts by Thread Pulls and the phenomenal Miracle Candle by Patrick Kelleher And His Cold Dead Hands comes another unusually creative electronic record, this time by Brian Rice and Darren Moloney, aka synth pop duo Last Days Of 1984.
Following in the footsteps of Afro-inspired indie stars like Friendly Fires, Django Django and tUnE-yArDs, the seven-tracker ventures far beyond where you’d expect an Irish synth pop album to go, as Rice and Moloney dip their toes ever so subtly in African roots, California-style surf rock and Middle Eastern pop. The end result is certainly experimental, but thankfully, not at the expense of a catchy hook or three.
Across seven lengthy tracks (some hasty math throws up an average of almost six minutes), Wake Up To The Waves is blessed with a unique chemistry, the product of combining freeflowing tribal rhythms with beachy, tropical melodies.
The record deals mostly in sparkling instrumentals, a wise decision on the part of Last Days Of 1984; when the hushed, lethargic vocals do show up, they tend to be overshadowed by the beat.
Tracks range from the serene to the spiky: ‘Safari’ is a particularly dreamy affair, while ‘Kismat’ is boldly industrial. Meanwhile, the striking Middle Eastern twang of ‘Wave Life’ makes it a clear stand-out.
You could gripe that a seven-minute track, no matter how shapely and shimmering, is never going to make it onto your summer playlist. You could argue that Ireland’s just not sunny enough for a homegrown Afro-surf record. You could say that Django Django got there first. But somehow, after 41 minutes of truly engaging avant-pop, Wake Up To The Waves gives you very little to complain about.