Favourite Irish albums?

I wouldn't exactly describe myself as a patriot but I do have an affinity for works produced by my fellow countrypeople, be it in the fields of music, art, literature, beverage-making, etc. I think it's of vital importance to support Irish music at the grassroots level for a variety of reasons; there are some extremely talented artists on this island of ours producing some incredible material that's worth listening to, the lack of a sufficient musical infrastructure to support these bands means that they rely on patronage on an individual level in order to develop and foster their abilities and also the sense of community amongst Irish musicians is a rewarding phenomenon to be a part of.

I figured that it'd be an idea to list some Irish albums, both old and new, from established artists, forgotten artists and nascent artists alike, that really deserve a listen or three and maybe even partake in some discussion about the characters, places and events that may have precipitated or been actively involved in the production of some of the indispensable material to follow.

The Immediate - In Towers and Clouds (2006)
I shudder when I consider the amount of talent and promise that this band held and effectively jettisoned when they split prematurely after releasing a stellar debut. Of course, Conor hadn't quite exorcised his musical demons and continues to release excellent material with Villagers but there was something about the Immediate that was so exciting and refreshing. Here was a band that had arrived fully formed with an album stuffed with ideas, dizzying structures and watertight melodies and harmonies. One regret of mine is that I never got around to experiencing the Immediate's live show, but this album cushions that pain somewhat, even though it stands a bittersweet document of a band brimming with virtuosity and innovativeness but sadly lacking in stamina.



Squarehead - Yeah, Nothing (2011)
Squarehead were a band that I first seen supporting Deertick in Whelan's around four years ago or so and while I don't remember being particularly taken with the performance it must have impressed on me a bit considering I decided to pick up a copy of their debut on a whim a month or so later in the RAGE on Fade Street. What a whim that was! This album didn't leave my turntable for months; just an absolutely cracking set of garage-pop nuggets with delightful 60s girl-group vocals, wry, sentimental lyrics and sugary melodies that just won't leave your noggin. My favourite song is possibly the song 'Get Light', I think Roy Duffy is definitely one of the more underappreciated Irish songsmiths out there; it's a shame that Squarehead aren't at least 10 times as big as they rightfully deserve to be.



More to come...