NO ENCORE: THE REVISIT | 2003
NO ENCORE fires up the flux capacitor once more and revisits a year in Irish music to weigh up the most notable albums of the era. This time out it’s 2003, with everything from bedroom experimentation (not that kind) to carefully constructed throwback sounds to the first major steps in world domination up for debate.
Kieran absconded from his podcast duties for this one and so Dave is joined by an excellent panel in the form of Tara Stewart (2FM, District Magazine), Paddy McKenna (JOE.ie), John Barker (98FM) and Stephen Byrne (Goldenplec). As always, it’s a lively and informative listen. Stay tuned for an exclusive interview at the end…
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The five albums discussed on this episode are…
Bell X1 – Music In Mouth
The sophomore effort from Paul Noonan’s alt-rock crew displays a fresh confidence, subtle flourishes and the occasional dash of well-realised venom, most notably on ‘Tongue’, which rivals Radiohead in their pomp. If that sounds lofty, so too was the band’s ambition, with Music In Mouth hitting the heights more often than not.
Paul Noonan joined us for NO ENCORE: The Revisit 2002 and you can listen to that here.
Future Kings of Spain – Future Kings of Spain
One of the greatest opening tracks ever? ‘A Place For Everything’ is an especially interesting way to set a tone for a record that almost entirely sidesteps those first couple of bruising minutes. There’s tremendous versatility and invention on display here, making the case for Future Kings of Spain as one of the more curious ‘why weren’t they massive?’ bands…
Simple Kid – 1
The kind of album guaranteed to provoke a reaction, Simple Kid’s debut (hence the 1, of course) is a wildly experimental haze possibly best listened to in the dead of night whilst under the influence of cough syrup or something just as stimulating. Then again, it’s also fun to get lost in while meandering around a busy city.
Snow Patrol – Final Straw
You’ve probably heard of this lot, and it might well have been Final Straw that turned your head. The third album from the Gary Lightbody-led indie outfit made waves off the back of the commanding ‘Run’ and the playful ‘Chocolate’, but there’s more here than radio hits, with ‘Somewhere A Clock Is Ticking’ registering as particularly powerful.
The Thrills – So Much For The City
Something of a marmite band, The Thrills lived for summer highs and vintage sounds. For some, that was a glorious marriage and their brand of breezy rock action offered the perfect soundtrack to postcard-worthy idyllic moments, but others scoffed at a direction that could arguably be classed as wildly pretentious. A divisive document of the time.
