Live Review: Somebody's Child at The Sound House

Somebody’s Child have been quietly building for quite some time: building a collection of songs, building an understanding as a band, building an ever-growing fan-base, building intrigue and optimism within the Irish Music industry.

They performed to a sold out Upstairs at Whelan’s back at the end of February - and they made their return to the stage at The Sound House last night.

Between the two shows, the band have  grown from a four-piece to a five-piece, adding a second or sometimes third guitarist to the mix. They are all expert players and they’ve grown noticeably sharper and tighter between gigs.

The first stand-out moment of the night comes with their debut single ‘Make You Alright’, a beautiful, anthemic, synth-laden pop number, which has already broken 100,000 Spotify plays. Judging by their ability to sing every word, plenty of those plays have come from tonight’s audience. This rendition highlights the strength of lead singer Cian Godfrey's raspy not-always-decipherable vocals. Godfrey’s voice has a wonderful range. At its most tender on piano ballad ‘Because It’s You’, it’s reminiscent of Paolo Nutini, while at his rawest he sounds like an Irish Per Almqvist, or Julian Casablancas. This is good stuff.

‘Distance’, which will most likely be the band’s next single is an aural affront, beautiful chaos – a cacophony of sound, with the band submerged in plumes of smoke and a wall of blue light. The odd song feels like it needs a little bit more work, but that’s ok: this is a very new band that’s a work in progress. And Somebody's Child are progressing!

They end the set in real style. In a live setting, Somebody's Child are at their best when their songs gradually build into big, glorious epics. ‘This Life Of Mine’ is the best example: it's a great way to climax the show. Cue a ‘not actually leaving the stage because we can’t’ pause before the encore. They return with ‘A Lot Has Changed’, which sounds like another potential hit, followed by their current single ’Toes’ - which is as catchy as anything you’ll hear this year, and maybe next as well. Somebody's Child bow out, finally, with with a cover of Metronomy’s cult-classic ’The Look’, illustrating the genuine musicianship that will serve Somebody’s Child well as they stride forward.

Having released just two tracks to date, Somebody’s Child are clearly punching above their weight. Short and sweet it may have been, but this performance was further confirmation that, with a little luck, they have the songs and the talent required to make it to the very top over the next year or two. Watch them go!