Absence is the debut release from an Irish six-piece who began creating music with “no direct intentions”. It would be remiss to call it aimless, rather the musical signposts are too readily followed. A smattering of pristine post-punk a la Editors here, some mature National indie there and a whole lotta Pearl Jam elsewhere.
Yet it all begins so well. ‘Torment (Intro)’ is everything you could want from a debut opener, a brief, atmospheric rising of guitar noise that raises interest – and the hairs on the back of your neck – before we’re plunged into the first track proper. ‘On Your Heels’ is White McKenzie’s calling card, the song that shows the way forward. Immediate, charged, it does straight-ahead hard rock in a highly intelligent manner. A strong melody sits atop a cacophony of overdrive and drums, with a winding piano lurking beneath it all. ‘4 A.M.’ puts the keys at the forefront and is more subdued, considered fare, a sombre, last orders ballad.
From here, however, the doubts creep in. As does the all too obvious Pearl Jam influence. ‘The Big Man’ is all bluster and irritating sentiment, sounding like an overly earnest Vitalogy-era cut from the studio floor. ‘Forget’ raises the tempo but is ultimately accurately-titled. The mind wanders and when it settles, it’s always on that unmistakable voice, with Kieran O’Reilly sounding so like Eddie Vedder it’s a real distraction. He needs to move on now, to develop his own distinct style.
That said, the band have a heartening lightness of touch that lights up the lovely ‘As The Clock Winds On’. Closer ‘Crawling The Walls’ raises the standard once more with a mournful, unsettling and well-executed slow build to the finish line. A good place to sign off, it suggests that once White McKenzie find a true identity of their own, they should be a band worth getting to know.