Thirtysixstrings
(34/100 Greatest Irish Albums)

Purveyors of truly affecting post-rock perfection were pretty scant on the ground in Dublin until the arrival of The Redneck Manifesto. Commonly regarded as one of Ireland’s most powerful live acts, their first album hit music fans square between the eyes – and they haven’t looked back since.
Thirtysixstrings is a hypnotic and gnarled mass of splendour. ‘Sweet Pot’ writhes with the virile, tortured energy of Fugazi, while the uncommonly beautiful ‘Slow On The Uptake’ and ‘Sounds Better Than It Looks’ both serve to wipe the listener’s brow before another round of sonic battery. By turns brutally forceful and majestically mellow, Thirtysixstrings is an instrumental tour de force, designed for maximum emotional impact. On top of which it’s the kind of album that gets you into fierce trouble with your neighbours – which can only be a good thing!