Like the Iveagh Gardens on Harcourt Street, the Ballintrillick Horseshoe in County Sligo, or the Gravediggers pub in Glasnevin, Donegal trio Berkeley are one of Ireland’s hidden gems. While other bands may have the right connections, the right influences or the right haircuts, Berkeley have been secreted away in the North West, quietly creating some of the finest rock ‘n’ roll on this island.
In Moments, their second album, is an unfussy but quite brilliant collection of emotive guitar-driven rock, served up with a barrage of raw energy, hummable melody and real soul. From the opening salvo of ‘Here At Last’, a delicious blend of driving drums, layered backing vocals and a hook that resounds around your head for days, to the open-wound fragility of ‘Coming Up For Air’ or the hymn-like hidden track at the end, the three-piece prove themselves a liquid ensemble, capable of astonishing moments of heart-breaking frailty, alongside some of the loudest, punkiest anthems this side of Fugazi, with bassist Eugene McGinty and drummer Hugh Law forming a rhythm section as tight as a duck’s bunghole.
Sandwiched in between is the short, sharp shock of ‘Weighed Down’ (the missing link between Metallica and Foo Fighters), the ironically titled instrumental ‘Elevator Music’ and the frantic ‘Perfect Sentiment’. Then there’s the absolutely gorgeous ‘With A Nervous Eye’ and the truly beautiful ‘No More Shall We Talk’, whose aching sadness washes over you in waves of crashing chords, barely restrained vocals and a melody that grabs you by the lug and drags you along for the ride.
Frontman Tommy McLaughlin has evolved into one of the most emotive vocalists in the country, equally at home with the heads-down-no-nonsense riffathon of ‘Bleeding Heart’, the screaming-til-you’re-blue-in-the-face rage of ‘Give It A Rest’ and the raw resignation of the title track’s tortured refrain: “This is how they break your heart” indeed.
In many ways, In Moments is the sound of a band growing up. Not that there was anything wrong with their Steve Albini-produced debut, Hope Prayers And Bubblegum, but their sophomore effort is a more rounded, multi-faceted affair, showcasing the trio’s musical maturity to the full. Surely their position as Ireland’s best-kept musical secret won’t hold true for much longer. Jump on board before they go supernova.