Sons of Southern Ulster are based in County Clare, in the soon to be Brexited Republic of Ireland – BM reviewed this combo’s first album a couple of years ago – it was great, but this one is even better!
We could go down the track of “is like a hellish brew of the Pogues, Fatima Mansions and a really bad episode of Father Ted” but it is far more original than that… It would be easy to pigeonhole this into some Oirish file but this is just premium quality rock and roll – via The Cramps, Johnny Cash and the rest…but the references to smalltown life in the Republic give it some real bite, along with the combination of roaring guitars and sometimes odd electronic beats…
The first brace of tracks are a barrelling brace of instant classics, and actually have more in common with Sleaford Mods in their social comments, and the guitars, mother of God they are good… These are old guys and they know exactly what they are doing… there is also a pop sensibility here, in the choruses, in the world-weariness of the words…
There is nothing quite like this out at the moment, whatever the new wave of Dublin bands are up to….opening tune ‘Fear My Scorn’ is up with anything BM has heard this year…
‘They Say I Live in the Past’ is an incredible anthem to old guy hedonism – complete with “woo woohs”.
Next, New Day Rises’ actually has some REM-esque chords but the stream of consciousness lyrics keep on coming on, about “dying in this place”… widescreen views of a claustrophobic place…
God BM is breathless… lyrics about “provincial drapers”… and smalltown Ireland gets a kicking…
Overall, excellent – could well be album of the year to these ears…