Every month sees more and more great Irish music released to the world. Aaron Cunningham and Martha Greer select some of their favourite releases of last month, including cover artist Kojaque. All found in our rotating playlist.
Kojaque – BAMBI
New from Kojaque, ‘BAMBI’ is the Dublin artist’s first new material since 2021 Town’s Dead and a collab with Leeds collective Gotts Street Park. A track about ‘the one that got away’, a smooth hip-hop rhythm with jazz touches carries Kojaque’s lyrics. AC
Isaac Jones – The Pits
Isaac Jones, a multi-instrumentalist from Dublin, leads up to a new EP and a 32 date all Ireland tour this August and September with new single ‘The Pits’. There’s a real spread of genres thrown into the scattered sounds of this one from its beats and samples under deep vocals. AC
Coolgirl – Silverlight
Dublin based artist and producer Coolgirl delivers a spectacularly hypnotic single from her upcoming EP. ‘Silverlight’ is a deep-synth experience that revolves around chopped up vocals, brutal bass, and a rhythm that is endlessly persistent. MG
Soda Blonde – Bad Machine
Soda Blonde’s newest single comes armed with news of a new album and a winter tour. ‘Bad Machine’ is a change of tone from 2021’s Small Talk, Faye O’Rouke’s vocals flow through angular riffs and beats and into dreamy sections. Album number two Dream Big releases 8 September. AC
Cruel Sister – Hands
‘Hands’ is a shouty track full of youthful angst and grunge that explores the ideas behind dealing with intrusive thoughts. Cruel Sister’s explosion of juxtaposing vocal styles are bound by bending guitars and vigorous drumming, similar to the sounds of Sonic Youth and PJ Harvey. MG
Naoise Roo – Sacred Cow
Belfast based Naoise Roo who re-emerged last year with an expanded release of her first album, follows up with the first single from her upcoming second (and final) album Emotionally Magnificent. Dramatic vocals mix with a melding of sounds from noir pop and country. Satirical and brooding. AC
Sarah Crean – Wasted Youth
Easy-going indie-pop at its very finest, Sarah Crean’s ‘Wasted Youth’ is lyrically relatable as it tells the harsh realities of growing up, thus explaining its catchy ways. Not to mention the irresistible guitar hooks and gently rich melodies delivered by silver-toned vocals. MG
Louise Gaffney – instant unending
Quiet, whispered folk from Louise Gaffney, ‘instant unending’ is her first release in two years. Written in Co. Clare last summer, the fluidity, the texture and the meandering form sounds born from nature. AC
Samuel Blaney – Ember
Samuel Blaney’s gripping first release is like a breath of fresh air. From the outset, ‘Ember’ has a great sadness to it with this delicate style of instrumentation being built from harmonious choruses and distant harmonics. MG
Ellen Sleator – Beaches
There’s a gorgeous lo-fi hip-hop quality to ‘Beaches’, with the Mullingar artist’s vocals low in the mix. Bass, beats and whispers of guitar vibrate around Sleator’s almost whispered vocals. AC
Becky McNeice – Flatline
Belfast artist Becky McNeice is rapidly gaining new fans with recent releases and live shows. ‘Flatline’, her fifth single of 2023, marries a laid back beat with electronic pop sounds and McNeice’s chilled but vulnerable vocals. AC
Kean Kavanagh – Heat
An eclectic opener to the new EP from an eclectic artist. ‘Heat’ doesn’t let up across its brief run time, boasting frenetic guitars, groovy bass and AM radio vocals. It sounds like an artist just having fun with it. AC
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