Named after their local bus route, (the 39 of course!), this West-Dublin five-piece produce compelling, if not altogether original-sounding, indie-pop. Apart from the stellar playing on offer on this effervescent debut, their secret weapon is the strength of the songs. The opener ‘Corridors’ – the current single – is a glorious head-rush of Doves-meets-Franz Ferdinand. Likewise ‘Lucy Opus’, another melodic gem, showcases a slightly spacier side, verging on shoegazing.
Singer Feargal Moloney calls to mind Placebo’s Brian Molko on the angsty ‘Angel In The Shadows’, while ‘Weeknight Lover’s’ with its machine-gun rhythms, layered guitars and irresistible chorus is another contender for single status.
The production by Greg Havers (Manics, Super Furries, Catatonia etc) is finely polished without smoothing out the band’s edge, although the mastering suffers from the modern disease of over-compression or “loudness” on some tracks. A fine debut.