Prodigal son syndrome

A communication from Peter Lundy, an Irish songwriter who has been living in Brighton, comes in response to my recent musings about how Irish songwriters might choose to write from their own experience rather than recycling second-hand views. Lundy has apparently been penning songs about dancing, drinking and drugging based on his observations of life by the English seaside town of mods v rockers riot fame. He is now back in Belfast hoping to finish some of the songs and release them, but he seems a little narked, perhaps because he hasn’t been granted “Prodigal Son” status by all and sundry.

But his demo, using the band name Pharaoh House Crash, is a handsome thing, with crisp songs full of fidgety beats and neat melodies. ‘New Dress’ slides in with a deft guitar figure, then adds a pounding rhythm, a great pop female vocal, a real chorus and some cute lyrics about the drastic need for a new wardrobe of sexy clothes. ‘If I Don’t Have You’ has a reggae intro that is quickly replaced with synth noodlings, but it builds into a real charmer when the beat stomps in. But ‘Four To The Floor’ is entirely different again. Yes, it has those trademark relentless rhythms but vocally it comes from somewhere between pop-rap and Chumbawamba, with a chirpy chorus and optimistic lyrics about heading out on a Saturday night.

If the CD lacks anything it’s cohesion. All three tracks could be by different acts, but the songs have substance and let’s hope Lundy gets them to the marketplace so he can cheer up.

Galway-based Duckweed have delivered another fine demo which shows them even tighter than last time. ‘When You Were Made’ swaggers in as if it owned the place and the band sound blends touches of The Las with the muscular approach of Weller. The vocals could have been better recorded, but it’s good enough to be going on with.

‘Patience’ belies its title with a more robust sound and shuffling restless rhythms, with oodles of fuzzed-up guitars and a natty chorus that advises one to “always fall in love on the tv”. Sure, no bother.

‘Arms Of Love’ opens with an asthmatic harmonica and when the song gets going it really only plods along and needs an injection of energy in order to keep your attention. Duckweed sound like a decent band heading in the right direction, but it must be time they released a real record.

Inner Frequency are a rock band who mutated into electronica but still use guitars and the usual paraphernalia to create dance music with a convincing live feel. On ‘New Dawn’ it really works, moving from synth doodlings that drag you in at the start so that it can beat you up a couple of minutes later with loads of noisy guitar and thrashing jazz-inflected rhythms that convey real menace. ‘Zoetrope’ is drum’n’bass with added vitality, while ‘Chemical Bomb’ may have a dodgy title for these times but the vocal shouts work well and the recording proves that its marriage of funk and electronica was made in heaven.

The demo from Nicola Williams from South Wales also shows the benefits of avoiding the obvious. She has a winningly expressive voice which she applies well to her sparkling songs. Despite the home-recording quality, it’s clear she has a firm grasp of song structure too, and the opening track ‘Sing Me The Song’ oozes an easy confidence.

‘Still’ offers further evidence of an intelligence at play. She could have taken the obvious folksy road of vocals and acoustic guitars but has wisely boosted the track with well-thought out swathes of synth sounds mixed with chiming guitars and the gentle patter of percussion. She sings ‘Emotional Migraine’ a capella. I’m not convinced it works as well as the previous tracks. The sean-nos route is not as easy as it might seem.

But Williams in general proves she can deliver the goods in an original context and it would be a pity if her talents were to go astray before she gets to share them with the public at large.

Cork-based Orpheus are into making a lot of noise and they have a penchant for bribery that is all too rare on the Irish music scene. They promise that if I say nice things about them they’ll buy me a pint and a packet of crisps, so I better be careful how I put this.

Orpheus bring a much-needed sense of humour to what is a very dull scene. Their Plant-like vocalist James O’Mahoney does a handsome job on “Devil’s Child’, although the drummer seems to struggle a little. But ‘Suffer Vesta’ is furious guitar-driver riffola and chugs along quite contentedly until it changes gear. ‘’Last Glance’ is equally interesting.

That’ll be a pint of Southern Comfort and a packet of cheese and onion, please.