Album Review: 'From When The Future Was Yet To Hurt Us' from The 202's

Nine years on from the release of their fun eponymous debut album, Dublin trio The 202s unveil their sophomore effort. It reboots the band in considerable style. Older, wiser and slightly weirder since they returned from their self-imposed five-year hiatus in 2016, the 202s are, at their core, an alt-pop band who splash in the muddy waters of krautrock and indie. On album number two, they’re at their most exciting when they’re taking risks and experimenting.

Highlights include the swaggering, sinister, Revolting Cocks-minded ‘Dash For The Exit (Real Love Doesn’t Lie)’; the buoyant slab of dream pop that is ‘Up In Thin Air’; and ‘Melodiglockthing’, a buzzing, Can-esque freak out. Though When The Future… is slightly front-loaded, ‘Soul Don’t Boogie’ lifts the second half of the LP. Peppered with disco flourishes, skeletal rockabilly guitars and hypnotic vocals, this twisted nursery rhyme is the best song the band have put their name to yet.

Record label: Difference / Repetition
Listen to: Soul Don't Boogie
Rating: 7/10