Every month we take a look back at the best new releases from Northern Ireland in our featured playlist. A showcase for the sheer amount of talent coming out of the North, and a playlist worthy of repeat listening. This month’s cover artist is Virgins. Words by Aaron Cunningham and Martha Greer.
Virgins – S O F T E R
A debut album from five-piece Virgins seems only right considering their steady rise over the last couple of years. With its heavy wall of guitars and riffing bass heightened by the dreamy vocals of vocalist Rebecca Dow, ‘S O F T E R’ sets the stall out for April’s full length nothing hurt and everything was beautiful. AC
Blue Whale – I Wanna Be Your Da
Another band leading us towards a new album is the fairly elusive collective Blue Whale. Their amusingly titled new single is taken from album number 2, Last Immediate Images released on 15 March. The groovy ‘I Wanna Be Your Da’ reels in a little of the chaos from their often genre-hopping instrumentals. AC
Chalk ft Fears – Bliss
‘Bliss’ offers another take on Chalk’s evolving music, with each track from upcoming EP Conditions II offering something different. ‘Bliss’ itself is a real melding of styles, from their cinematic electronica to an indie guitar riff and an ethereal element, with the help of vocals from Fears. A band on form. AC
Chubby Cat – 100 Miles an Hour
Chubby Cat continues to excite the masses with ‘100 Miles An Hour’ as they reflect on the pressures of being a creative. Feeling the fury through the speakers, the alternative electropop tune is heavy hitting not to mention the chorus that transforms listeners to another sonic planet. MG
Conn Thornton – Acrobat
‘Acrobat’ is the first dreamy folk-rock single to be taken from Conn Thornton’s third album Meteorite Season. The Belfast based composer and multi-instrumentalist delivers a melancholic performance interspersed with trippy synths and prominent lyrics that focus on a deteriorating friendship. MG
Laytha – Throat of the Wind
Folk duo and cousins Laytha demonstrate the effective daydream created from the beautiful merge of haunting harmonious vocals and subtle acoustic guitars during ‘Throat of the Wind’. The song paints a picture of Ireland’s landscapes with its traditional style and blue melodies. MG
Huartan – Bean Udaí Thall
Quite unlike anything else on here, ‘Bean Udaí Thall’ is the debut release from Belfast based Huartan. The trio have already made their name with live performances that blend visuals & dance. A reworking of an old Irish language murder ballad, their tradtronica is awash with deft musicality, production and otherworldly vocals. AC
Franklin – Bebby
The first song penned together by Franklin, ‘Bebby’ is a grungy debut about the power of love. The guitar’s dark undertones are met by the rattles of a brim-full bassline, while softer moments lean into the shoegazing world. MG
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