In aid of the ISPCC, this project was put together by second year students in the Sound Training Centre in Temple Bar, Dublin. A largely acoustic offering it follows up last year’s successful Sparks And Minds compilation, which included the likes of Bell X1 and Lisa Hannigan among others.
Like most of these affairs it’s a mixed bag in terms of styles and genres. However, the standard is consistently high and it shines a much-needed spotlight on the current crop of Irish talent. In fact, all good causes aside there are some terrific performances here. Juno Falls’ blend of raggle taggle and good-timey carnival music sounds fantastic on ‘Same Old Song & Dance’; Delorentos’ ‘Hallucinations’ is equally effervescent; and Travelle’s ‘Big Blue Sky’ is something of a revelation: an atmospheric, slowly building piano-based ballad with a rousing chorus, it’s potentially hit-making material, given the right exposure. Meanwhile Mullingar modists The Aftermath do the hangover blues on ‘Need’ while The Corrs’ fine version of the trad standard ‘Spancil Hill’ benefits from the acoustic backdrop. Also well worth hearing are Noise Control’s ‘Addiction’, Neosupervital’s ‘Just Be’ and a trippy remix of Dave Geraghty’s ‘Watch Her Win’.