Ireland is raving about the latest album from the Young Folk.
By Colleen Taylor
Sometimes I visit the Irish Music Record Association’s top charts to see exactly what the majority of Ireland is listening to. Usually it’s the typical top 40 hits we get over here from Ryan Seacrest, but every now and again, a few homegrown outliers show up in the listings. That was the case this week in late April. A new single from the Young Folk, another from indie electronic band Jape, and finally—believe or not—Daniel O’Donnell’s “Ultimate Irish Album” made the list. So did Hozier’s self-titled album and also the album “Beautiful Life,” released by Ireland’s biggest country music star, Nathan Carter—two of 2015’s biggest records that are clearly still favorites in the Irish music scene in 2016. The numbers don’t lie: Irish artists are getting a lot of loyal, hometown support. In particular, I was excited see Jape and The Young Folk make the top numbers. I consider these two bands to be some of the most exciting young musicians playing today, albeit in very different genres.
Jape is the brainchild of Dubliner Richard Egan, who collaborates with other electronica musicians like the Villagers’ Conor O’Brien. Jape’s music achieves an impressive balance of mellow and animated sounds, mediating equal doses of calming beats and energetic dancing tunes. Jape had secured its name as one of Ireland’s premier electronic artists. His debut album, “Cosmosphere” won two awards for best album, and he is the only artist to have won the Choice Music Award twice. His most recent album, “This Chemical Sea” released last year is a true tour de force of music and technology. Piano chords dance with the synthesizer to create something truly otherworldly. I am particularly partial to “Séance of Light” off “This Chemical Sea.” It manages to be both retro and utterly modern. The track brings you back to ‘70s disco and ‘80s pop but in an entirely new way that words cannot quite explain. Not to mention, the track is simply fun and captivating. There’s a similar dual temporality at work in “The Hearts Desire.” I’m reminded of the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine” but the song is uniquely Jape’s own at the same time. Even when you can trace alternate music influences in his sounds, Jape proceeds to subvert them in the next set of notes. Jape has an entirely one-of-a-kind creative view and creative ear.
Jape is the brainchild of
Dubliner Richard Egan.
The Young Folk have been doing amazing things since I last wrote about them. First and foremost, they have a new album out, and Ireland is raving for it. “First Sign of the Morning” exudes beauty and sonic depth. Once again, the Young Folk have proven that Ireland’s folk music spirit runs deep. When I listen to this young band of three twenty-somethings, I am reminded that folk music is in the national genes. I may be biased, of course, but they demonstrate that no culture does folk music better than Ireland. That said, the Young Folk aren’t a traditional Irish folk band either, and their latest album is anything but conservative. Instead, it explores how alternative and electronic musical influences converse with traditional folk instruments. The result is something urban and rustic at once. The title track and “When Morning Came” are particular stand outs. There’s no question as to why the Young Folk are being invited to festivals all over Europe. This band is an absolute pleasure to listen to. By now, they have acquired particularly big following in Germany. Their loyalty is to their roots though: they will be touring the new album all over Ireland these next few months before they go international. Check out “First Sign of the Morning”—as the title might suggest, it’s a brilliant way to start any day.
When I listen to bands like Jape and The Young Folk I’m proud to be a young(ish) Irish music fan. In the music they make, I hear the reassurance that the great age of Irish music has not passed—on the contrary, it’s very much at work right this second.
Colleen Taylor writes the Music Notes column each week in the Irish Echo.
