Dublin’s Unsigned... The Best Of proclaims itself a compilation of 14 tracks from Dublin’s most vital unsigned acts. It covers a spread of genres, from indie folk to electro pop and hard rock. And you know what? Recession or not, it also shows there’s no let-up in the emergence of riveting new talent in the nation’s capital making truly inventive music, as vibrant as you’ll find anywhere on Planet Rock.
There’s a madcap, unputdownable zest about ‘Sign Of The Times’ by Scarecrow Disco, whilst ‘Objects’ from Noise Control takes over on the bedlam front where Prodigy leave off. ‘Leave Me Here’ by Red Labels is a cute cut of orthodox indie rock with a reggae tinge, while ‘Balcony Waves’ by Offshore is a reflective take on the more portentous side of the rock spectrum. The Looks go ape on the galloping two-tone ‘Romeo’, and you have to dig the sultry accordion on ‘Petrol Tank’ by The Hassle Merchants. And there are swaggering, stand-out contributions from The Spikes with ‘Painted In Gold’ and The Hot Sprockets with ‘Sleep Shake’.
But one unsettling observation. The vast majority of musicians featured are male. Only The Prairie Dawgs appear to operate an equal opportunities policy. Is this mere coincidence or evidence of some deeper malaise now haunting the Dublin music scene?
KEY TRACK: SLEEP SHAKE (by THE HOT SPROCKETS)