After, what, 20 years, Dublin’s greatest undiscovered musical export have re-emerged – and it seems that they’ve lot none of the talent, emotion, ability, whatever that they displayed back when they put out three albums, including the classic Heartworm, in the late 1980s.
It’s not clear why they’ve reappeared, but unlike many acts who have inexplicably resurfaced, neither has the old stuff aged or does this new release sound out of time.
‘Prisoners’ is a narrative set to a quick-paced tune which is perhaps (taking into account the irony) best described as a heavier take on Britpop, with hints of Suede et al as well as The Smiths and other C86 types like the Close Lobsters etc – far from whatever was coming out of Eire at the time it’s Fearghal McKee’s strong accent and the strident guitar, always on the point of feeding back, that is their trademark.
The B-side starts off slow like it’ll be a dark, warped torch song like ‘Fiction’ from Heartworm, but soon it gathers pace, dark religious imagery muttered over a frantic fiddle-driven backing.
As I say, the band aren’t showing their age at all, and with the likes of Scotland’s Twilight Sad getting all dark and moody on us in heavy accents, it could be that Whipping Boy will slot quite nicely into the indie scene a quarter of a century on.