When Youth Fades Away marks Somebody’s Child’s second full-length release, and represents the Dublin outfit’s definitive attempt at tapping into new sounds. As the collective enter their thirties, the album doesn’t mourn the fading of youth, but rather embraces new possibilities.

Taking inspiration from electronic pioneers Kraftwerk, this time around, Somebody’s Child had a clear mission statement: to push at the limits of their ambition. When Youth Fades Away is a wonder of songwriting, channelling the experience of reaching adulthood. The music is equally inspired, from the motorik pulse of ‘The Kid’ to the build-and-release tension of ‘The Waterside’.

Conveyed via Cian Godfrey’s impassioned vocals, the lyrics repeatedly return to the realities of getting older, with the emphasis on self-transformation. It’s a theme most indelibly addressed on the one-two punch of ‘My Mind Is On Fire’ and ‘Irish Goodbye’. Notably, the latter speaks to the continuing emigration of so many young Irish people – another powerful moment on a superb album.

8/10

Out now