Keeping the flame lit for old-school guitar-punk and rock ‘n’ roll is no easy task, but Otherkin do it more skilfully and convincingly than most. Deft musicianship, strong songwriting chops, a charismatic frontman in Luke Reilly and the requisite attitude, tell only part of the story of this rapidly rising four-piece. A pretty relentless schedule of live performances completes the picture: appearing with Guns N’ Roses at Slane (the band’s hometown), touring with The Dead Kennedys, and a slot at Donnington Download festival are just some highlights this year.
Recorded at home and mixed in London by Jolyon Thomas (Royal Blood), their hotly-anticipated debut, OK, is impressive from the get-go. A torrent of feedback, morphing into a chugging, drone-like rhythm, heralds ‘Treat Me So Bad’ – it’s a strong opening. More feedback and a quickfire, Ramones-like “1,2,3,4…” introduces ‘Bad Advice’, which blends the spirit of The Clash, a helping of Strokes riffage and Oasis swagger to winning effect. Elsewhere, a propulsive bassline and rock-solid drumming fuels ‘I Was Born’, while a touch of Arctic Monkeys filters through the single ‘Come On Hello’.
Meanwhile, with buzz-saw guitars aplenty, ‘Razorhead’ sounds exactly like the track’s title – a cutting, thrashing affair, outdone in monstrous heaviness only by pummelling live favourite ‘Enabler’. Overall, you can’t help feeling these Meath lads are on the cusp of something big.