A Litany of Failures, Volume II, Various Artists: Album Review

Contrary to what some radio stations, festival line-ups and awards short-lists might suggest, guitar bands (for want of a better umbrella term) are not dead. Not by a long shot. This second volume of the A Litany Of Failures series – the first was a mere four-track EP – serves as an excellent lucky dip into the present Irish indie rock scene, with bands from all over the country being given a platform. The 18-band strong release is ambitious and absorbing – and then some.

Created and curated by seasoned tunesmiths Danny Carroll, Stevie Lennox and Paul O’Connor, art rock, post punk, psych, evergreen indie and alt pop are all present and correct on this double album, with more established acts like No Monster Club and Dott rubbing shoulders with upstarts Any Joy and Cherym.

Not every track lands a killer blow. But that’s to be expected. At its best, A Litany Of Failures reminds us of the old Give ‘Em The Boot and Punk-O-Rama releases in that it serves as a potential gateway to discovering your new favourite band.

That is the big takeaway here. I love Galway garage popsters Dott, whose opening track, ‘You Don’t Have To’ – a song about the very contemporary issue of consent – showcases their trademark hypnotic melodies and buzzing guitars; Big Monster Love’s ‘At Donabate Beach’, meanwhile, is a delicious slice of Celtic anti-folk; Ghost Office’s ‘Here Come The Elders’ conjures inmages of Mormons on the streets of Belfast; and ‘Entertainment’ by Nervvs is a feast for those who adore head-cracking riffs and venomous post hardcore. There’s contributions too from That Snaake, Junk Drawer, Hot Cops with the fabulously titled ‘Belle Of The Tar Pits’, and Blue Whale, among others. Saving the best for last, Alien She’s ‘Shield’ is a powerful and magnetic nine minutes of music that sees the band gleefully push the parameters of their art punk sound. Featuring spoken word performances and field recordings, it’s jagged and jaw-dropping in equal measure. A Litany Of Failures is well worth checking out.

8/10
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