First Place

If the singer-songwriter vogue of the last while is a reaction to an increasingly plastic, target-marketed, spiritually bankrupt world, then the Lisdoon-attending nu-folk nation would do well to get into Irish hip hop, double quick. Frantic piano arpeggios, duelling string stabs and Messiah’s scattergun delivery drive this first single from imminent debut album What’s Confusing You? – a breathless account of one man’s search for strength, integrity, grace and meaning in an unpredictable universe. They’re one of the sharpest, most exciting bands – of any genre – this country has. Go get this.