Blind Pilots are back with an EP, The Toys Have Gone Berserk, and it’s full of tuneful guitar-based rock, plus synths when the mood takes the Dundalk outfit. ‘Fractured Boy’ has touches of Blur and Snow Patrol, and there’s a hint of U2 guitars behind a confident vocal from Jim O’Donoghue-Martin. Chiming guitars herald a build towards an exciting climax. ‘Seat Ga Ga’ is slower and again has echoes of U2. Tasty guitars sparkle inside a warm sound, while the tune is given space to breathe. It clocks in at over five minutes, so probably won’t be coming to a playlist near you soon. ‘Stillbeats’ has an anthemic quality, and the lyrics claim that “Jesus was cool because he had long hair.” Bet the Pope never thought of that.
Johnny Fox opens his ‘Repeating Patterns’ with a bleak cinematic sweep, languid piano and layered Lennonesque vocals, before he builds it into a sturdy rock soundscape that has a winsome appeal which might benefit from some judicious edits. ‘Anywhere Else’ has a haunting edge, with vocal support from Derren Dempsey of Laminate, catchy spoken/sung repeats of the title and builds to a full-blooded rock sound. ‘No Name’ takes a more conventional approach, and shows that the wily Fox can play it straight down the line when required, but in a way that’s less adventurous than the first two tracks.
Sax player Charlotte Glasson leads a five-piece instrumental band (with tuba instead of bass) who play a particularly uplifting blend of reggae, various jazz styles, klezmer and Latino. ‘Six Steps’ is an infectious foot-tapper and ‘Belly Up’ is full of Middle Eastern promise, with Jason Henson’s steamy guitar and Dan Hewson’s sizzling trombone fine foils for Glasson’s flute playing. ‘Patativa’ has exotic Latino rhythms underlying some playful instrumental work, with Glasson’s breathy flutings evoking memories of Roland Kirk and Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson. If you’ve ever wondered what smiles sound like, this is it.
Donnacha Toomey has a richly honeyed voice that he applies with loving care to his judiciously-crafted songs, and on his debut album bolsters them out with thoughtful arrangements and top-drawer musicianship. ‘Early One’ has a sparking trumpet solo; the mandolin-flavoured ‘Been A Long Time Now’ is more regally sedate, with Toomey’s voice taking on a little of the weight of C. Moore. ‘Emilia’ is a real gem, a Hammond organ and tenor sax filling out the sound under Toomey’s superb voice, which in turn is aided and abetted by the sweet tones of Aine Whelan. Crowded marketplace or not, we can’t really afford to ignore talents like Toomey.
Offaly-born Wayne Brennan has a new single ‘She’s The One’ (not the Springsteen song). It’s a worthy loping effort, well sung and performed, although you might like to hear him lend his attractive voice (akin to Paddy Casey) to a more demanding song. Brennan also happens to be a fine self-taught acoustic guitar player, and he ably demonstrates this on the flamenco instrumental ‘Peace In Your Mind’, which is laden with echoes of the Middle East.
The Focus Group’s debut single ‘Bits And Bobs’ is a sparkling gem to uplift the spirits in these dispiriting times. Vocalist Steven O’Brien exudes his customary swagger over a chiming guitar rock – the song has a nifty chorus to boot. ‘It’s Ok’ incorporates touches of Talking Heads and art-rock amid the stabbing guitars and restless drums on a song about his godchild. ‘Forgive’ could be from the poison pen of Lou Reed – the acoustic guitar appropriate for the bleakness of the lyric and O’Brien’s impassioned vocal.