Every month we take a look back at the best new releases from Northern Ireland, showcasing the sheer amount of talent coming out of the North in our featured playlist. This month’s cover artist is Madams Last Discovery. Words by Aaron Cunningham, Robert Brown and Will Mac Aoidh.
Madams Last Discovery – Work of Art
Despite their live presence over the past couple of years, ‘Work of Art’ is just the four-piece’s second release. A rich and darkly psychedelic track with bite, their second single puts Madams Last Discovery in line with their contemporaries, proponents of an exciting time for Belfast bands. With a place on the Oh Yeah’s Scratch My Progress programme, 2025 could be an exciting one for the band. AC
The Darkling Air – I Wasn’t Ready
A haunting ballad with a mood that could swallow you whole, ‘I Wasn’t Ready’ begins its life as a moody, stripped back slow-dance and blossoms into an all-hands-on-deck musical epic. Rachel McCarthy’s voice is enthralling here, hitting that fine line between delicate and powerful with aplomb. A masterfully composed track that will linger with you long after it’s over. WMA
Strange New Places – Sappho & Star Wars
Following a bit of a break, Strange New Places are back in recent times, returning with last year’s ‘Foreign Cities’. Welcoming in 2025 with new music ‘Sappho & Star Wars’ is a queer ballad from the five-piece, a sapphic anthem fuelled by yearning indie-rock. Lyrically, ‘Sappho & Star Wars’ is a track full of vocalist Ash Jones’ personal storytelling, from lost clothes to, of course, Star Wars. AC
Dani Larkin – David
Filled with charm and nostalgia, Dani Larkin’s ‘David’ takes a meandering path through memory lane. Solid acoustic guitar patterns and drum beats form an anchor point to which dreamy soundscapes and delicate vocals swirl around the listener. When the driving rhythms drop out, it’s like taking a sudden plunge into the surreal and fantastic. It’s Dani Larkin’ impressive songwriting and musicianship that makes an ambitious track like ‘David’ seem easy & natural. WMA
Joshua Burnside – Climb the Tower
Listening to Joshua Burnside’s music is like stepping into a rich and colourful painting, Mary Poppins style. ‘Climb The Tower’ feels like being teleported back to childhood; surrounding you with warm, comfortable melodies, a blanket of eclectic production providing the musical foundation and simplistic rhymes painting a picture of childhood. Y’know, like the kind your mother used to make you on a cold day. WMA
Jet Black Tulips – Best Friends Band
Charting the unbreakable bonds of friendship, ‘Best Friends Band’, finds Jet Black Tulips at the height of their powers. Recorded in Manor Park Studio, the single manages to sound fresh and nostalgic at the same time. Swaggering indie rock at its finest. RB
Mob Wife – Thank God For Car Parks
Mob Wife are back to take aim at the housing crisis, city planning and generational wealth on their first release in two years. Taking inspiration from a offhand Twitter reply, ‘Thank God For Car Parks’ has the band on abrasive form with sharp guitar riffs chiming with Chris Leckey’s equally pointed lyrics. AC
Penny’s Band – Green Eyes Red
Indie rock newcomers Penny’s Band continue to deliver on their early promise with an emotive 2nd single. It finds Alex Talbot contemplating the emotional aftermath of a complicated relationship across a soundscape that fluctuates between dreamy ambience and intense alt rock. RB
Jordan Adetunji – 305
Jordan Adetunji is the artist who just can’t stop winning and, if ‘305’ is anything to go by, has no intentions to stop. Scattershot drumbeats propel machine-gun rhymes in 305, while choir-like production gives a massive, spacious feel. It’s a track you could listen to a few dozen times and still hear some new sound or punchy line each & every time. WMA
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