Album Review: A Safe Distance to Watch, Colombia Mills

Colombia Mills are named after a 90’s dance venue that was once situated on the Dublin City Quays. The hub of illegal rave activity was a ground-breaking addition to Dublin’s nightlife scene. However, in 1994 a Garda raid took place which led to its eventual demise. By adopting its name, the band pay homage to their electronic music influences, Dublin DJs such as Francois, Mick Heaney, Mark Kavanagh and Johnny Moy.
Throughout their debut album A Safe Distance to Watch, Colombia Mills showcase a vast array of other influences across ten genre spanning tracks. The album opens with 'A Break in the Clouds, Head Start' and 'Battles', two LCD Soundsystem inspired electronic rock songs. These are followed by 'This City Doesn’t Feel Like Home to Me', an indie song with a Suburbs era Arcade Fire feel.

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Tracks such as 'Coldest Shoulder' and 'Same Shame' are Colombia Mills at their most distinctive, and a promising indication of the up and coming group’s potential. Here, they build and release tension in a way that would make for an incredible live performance.
The closing tracks of A Safe Distance to Watch contain considerably less electronica. Numbers like 'Top of the Hill' and 'We Decide' are much slower and guitar heavy, but maintain lyrical themes of relationship breakdown and evasion of emotional toxicity. The band’s experimentation with what they described as a “Twin Peaks and Chris Isaak spacious vibe” never veers into dreariness as a result of Fiachra Treacy’s ethereal vocals and poignant lyricism.

7/10
Best Track: Same Shame
A Safe Distance to Watch is available to stream here