Hoarsebox, Live at Crawdaddy, Dublin

I have a strong antipathy to people who use the word “party” as a verb (excepting of course the wonderful Andrew “Party ‘til you puke” WK, who in my book can do whatever the hell he wants). Still, here I am, being commanded to “party” by Dublin-based funk-pop foursome Hoarsebox, and I don’t hate it. I don’t hate it at all.
You may have noticed that artists took themselves remarkably seriously in the noughties, even in the pop spectrum (here’s looking at you, GaGa) so to see a group of lads who just want to have fun is a real treat.
Hoarsebox’s tunes are repetitive and occasionally drab (‘Brave Face’ and ‘The Party’s Over’ are the main culprits). On the other hand, there are some remarkable harmonies and groovelicious rhythms. Especially vibey tonight is the soul-tinged ‘Work Party’ (the single we’re all here to smash a bottle of wine against) and newbie ‘Inside Out’, which rings distinctly of early Justin Timberlake (a very good thing indeed).
Hoarsebox won’t change your life, but they will certainly improve your mood, making them a very worthwhile antidote to the dozens of ultra-serious mood rockers I tapped my foot to in ’09. Somehow though, I don’t think this has crossed the sprightly quartet’s minds – to be honest, they probably just want us all to bop around a bit, have a laugh and…(deep breath)… “party”.