Album Review: The Blades, Modernised

Thirty-one years between studio albums must be something of a record. But then Dublin’s finest mod-inspired beat combo have always favoured quality over quantity. The Blades’ first album since 1985’s The Last Man In Europe (and only their second studio album proper) was no doubt prompted by their spectacularly successful reunion gigs over the past few years, and comes with high expectations indeed.
Echoing the album’s title, the cover shot cleverly juxtaposes Dublin’s iconic “twin tower” chimneys - AKA, the old ESB plant in Poolbeg – and the controversial new incinerator. And like the evolving city skyline, Modernised updates the band’s tight, energetic manifesto while retaining all that was great about The Blades. The songs are mostly terrific and age has clearly not withered them. From the opening salvo ‘On The Town’, Paul Cleary & Co. sound fresh and vital, with the Blue Brass firing on all cylinders. As ever, they don’t disguise their influences: ‘Then Came You’ could be from a Burt Bacharach classic written for Dionne Warwick, while ‘Two Dimensions’ comes across as a Dexy’s-like blast of soulful power-pop.
A nod to the band’s Raytown (Ringsend) origins, ‘Kingfisher Blue’ offers a mellow nostalgic reflection on good times gone by, while ‘The Magnets’ is essentially The Story of The Blades, as they reminisce about glory days and playing the legendary Pearse Street pub venue (“We’re working class and proud/ trying to pull a crowd/ playing hard and loud”).
Meet the new Blades – (almost) the same as the old Blades!