HAPPY NEW year, folks. And now that the eating is over, the hangover nursed and the resolutions forgotten about, let’s get back to reality!

‘Leyton’, the first song on the new demo by The Groovythings, is a pleasing mix of influences, from New Order to early Lloyd Cole and the Commotions. The various strands merge well to produce a refreshingly different sound. It never ceases to amaze me how many Irish guitar groups are so heavily influenced by the Velvet Underground and The Groovythings are no exception. On ‘Laughing Far Too Loud’ the use of the violin and the rhythm guitar strum both suggest a debt to the Velvets but as with everything else on this tape The Groovythings show a flair for melody and throw in enough quirks to establish their own sound.

‘World-shy’ has a beautiful languorous sound and a lovely laid- back melody which is well sung by Mervyn Minto. The introspective lyrics show a morbid wit, particularly on ‘Disneyland’, and ‘Conjure Winter’ would keep any lyric fan happy. Overall, Feed Me To The Birds – as they’ve titled the tape – is extremely accomplished, well written pop music. But I would love to hear The Groovythings record on a bigger budget. No disrespect to this fine effort but I think their music deserves a better production. They really seem to have the talent to merit serious interest and further hard work should offer its own reward.

Shrine are a five-piece hard rock band from Finglas who don’t stop there either. This three song demo shows them to be seriously talented in the writing and performing departments. ‘No Time To Sleep’ comes in on a jazzy piano, courtesy of Steven McGrath and kicks into a great mid-paced rocker. ‘Wish You Were Here’ is deeply atmospheric folk rock, which shows, I believe, a familiarity with Led Zeppelin although this is no rip off. Ciarán Hyland has obviously been influenced by Robert Plant but it’s done him no harm – he has a superb voice and range. Eddie Walsh’s beautiful acoustic guitar picking and a brooding synth, again courtesy of Steven McGrath, perfectly frame Hyland’s beautiful melody.

‘Can You Hear Me Knocking’ has a powerful jazzy swing nailed down by the rhythm section of Billy Riggs on drums and Kenny Sandson on bass. Shrine really know what they’re doing and they’re doing it very well. If they can reproduce this live, expect to see them at a venue near you quite soon.

All I know about Dead Serious is that this 10-track demo tape was recorded in New York City and I can only presume that they are from the U.S. Their sound is definitely American. They are an AOR FM rock radio band. This is well played, slick, gravel-voiced rock ’n’ roll. It may not be everybody’s cup of tea but ‘Leave Me Alone’ could easily pass at the theme song for Jean Claude Van Damme’s next action movie!

You cannot fault the musicianship which is spot-on every time. It’s just that you come away with few memories, or any feeling that there’s a stand-out track. There is a certain amount of ‘heard it all before’ about this, which drags down the proceedings. Again I must stress that I know nothing about this band – they could be gifted amateurs or a young group yet to find an original sound.

What happens when the Saw Doctors are crossed with The House Of Love? – Suddenly Smith. I couldn’t help but sing along with ‘For Always’, the first song on this five-track tape. It has a catchy pop melody, and is nicely acoustically driven. Darren Bolger’s guitar playing on ‘Ancient Vows’ propels what is a House Of Love-type song. The flanged guitar on ‘Someone Else’ gives it a distinctly late seventies feel. This is accomplished power pop nonetheless. ‘I Do Believe’ goes back to the catchy acoustic swing of the earlier songs on the demo. Suddenly Smith have the knack, like the Saw Doctors, of knocking out instantly hummable choruses. I would see Suddenly Smith’s formula working very well live with their feel-good music and sing-along lyrics.

Last, but by no means least, The Id, a five-piece band from Downpatrick, Co. Down who specialise in a joyous line of funk rock. Reference points for The Id’s music would include The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Extreme and Living Colour. They play powerful, tight, jerky danceable metal. The three songs on this demo are packed with hooks and strong choruses.

‘Crazy’ kicks off at a frenetic pace which does not sacrifice melody for bluster. The keyboards by Tony Brady and guitar by Kenneth Papenfus are inventive and layered to maximum effect. ‘You Will Be Free’, my personal favourite, keeps up the pace and features some strong singing and backing vocals from Brendan Kelly. ‘Of Kings And Queens’ rounds off this CD with more of the same.

The Id, who have played extensively around Ireland, supporting The Pale in DCU, are definitely a young band to watch out for.