Songs of 2019 #4: Too Real - Fontaines DC

Too Real - Fontaines DC

Well, Fontaines DC shouldn't need any introduction by now.

I had heard some of their earlier songs, but it is with Too Real that I really started to pay attention.

And I think it is with this song they really started to raise the bar in their game.
For one thing, they started to become noisier and more daring.

Too Real has a uncommon structure, with an inro of drum and bass guitar creating a crescendo, that is then followed by a dystonic guitar noise, created by sliding the neck of the bottle on the strings.
The "song" then settles into a more conventional structure before  returning to the guitar noise and an almost "Motorik" bass guitar and drum beat.  It has a lot layers all very cleverly and originally combined to create something that sounds original and magnificent.

This is also the song where all started to click for me. As in most of their songs, Fontaines DC talk from the perspective of some character. Their characters and stories are local, all based around Dublin, where they live, but by focusing on 'real' characters, they provide an insight into topical and relatable themes that feels authentic and never contrived.
In this case, they speak from the perspective of some disenchanted character getting to grips with the need/desire for material wealth. The line "None can revolution lead with selfish needs aside" strikes for its directness, and is somehow poetic in describing something quite prosaic.

In this song Fontaines DC also refer to a poem by TS Eliot. They accomplish that all in an aggro post-punk piece with references to noise-rock and other avant-garde music. Amazing!

Songs of 2019 #5: Don't Cling to Life - The Murder Capital

Don't Cling to Life - The Murder Capital

The Murder Capital are another new band that takes inspiration from Post-Punk. They are also Irish from Dublin, and while they are not singing specifically about Irish themes, their being from Dublin is evident in different ways. These characteristics mean they have been somehow overshadowed by another excellent Irish band like Fontaines DC (more about them in the future). Which is a pity, because The Murder Capital's debut album "When I Have Fears" is an outstanding piece work.

The title of the album provides a good clue about what The Murder Capital sing about, which is mostly existential themes. Their post-punk style is very well-suited to deal with these themes in an emotionally eloquent way. It is easy to spot some of their influences, most notably from Joy Division. And yet The Murder Capital combine these and articulate them in a way that provides sparks and substance.

There are some great songs on their debut album, like More is Less, and The Green and Blue. But a good example of what they are capable of is Don't Cling to Life. It's a song about death, inspired by the death of a band member's relative. Despite the dejected theme and lack of hope in an afterlife (Don't cling to life, there's nothing on the other side), it's a punchy song and has almost a celebratory tone of the fleeting moments and bliss we can engender in this world (Let's dance and cry, so we remember why we die).

They do all this with mastery and without sounding contrived. So enjoy...


Songs of 2019 #6

Patricia Lalor : Anymore

Patricia Lalor is a teenager from Ireland. She can be considered an apposite example of singers and songwriters reaching audiences from -literally- their own bedrooms.

As this article by Alexis Petridis points out, technology and social media have created opportunities for many to reach audiences directly, without any type of mediation. It is encouraging that this has created opportunities, and these have been taken particularly by young women, who can create music and songs without having to come to terms with an industry that -too often- exploits women artists and pressure them to comply with the rulebook of an industry still dominated by men and a patriarchal mindset.

As an admirer of the post-punk ethos of "do-it-yourself" and its subversion of music business, I cannot help hoping this may spawn more interesting and diverse music.

Patricia Lalor has gained many followers on YouTube thanks to her covers of songs from Mac DeMarco's Chamber of Reflection to Hozier's Take Me to Church. She has a melancholic and soothing voice, full of longing, and her rich tonal palette enlivens any song she sings.

She has also started writing her own songs, and Anymore is a very solid piece. The bittersweet melody and her outstanding voice makes it a wonderful song. And it is a very well written song. The quality of song-writing is particularly evident when the song is stripped bare of the arrangements, as in its live version.

Patricia Lalor is a very talented singer and songwriter, and I hope she will produce more great music in years to come.