Choice Music Prize 2016
2016
Now in its 11th year of existence, The Choice Music Prize was born out of a desire to increase exposure for Irish acts both locally and overseas. Each year, ten outstanding Irish albums released over the past 12 months are selected to become contenders for the €10,000 prize. From the charming indie-folk of Kells natives Ham SandwicH, to Le Galaxie's vibrant synth-pop, we run through this year's stellar nominees, before the winner is announced on Thursday 3rd March.
The shortlist
- Winner
Though only 16 when she released her debut EP in 2014, Bridie Monds-Watson had been a firm fixture on the Derry gig circuit since the age of 14. Now a nationally-recognised talent, the Northern Irish singer-songwriter is releasing her beautifully-understated debut through Rough Trade Records. Exhibiting her multi-instrumentalist talents, the wistfully-named Before How We Forgot How To Dream sees Soak interspersing her delicate strain of indie-folk with string-laden instrumentals, laced between poignant lyrics. Long-time fans, look out for the revamped version of 'Sea Creatures', her heartfelt ode to a troubled friend.
Boundaries are of little importance to Mullingar-locals Girl Band. In their blistering take on one of Blawan’s savage cuts, the four-piece established their disregard for guitar-rock conventions, and the decision to base their debut album on the psychotic episode of lead-singer Dara Kiely continues this non-conformity. Striking the perfect balance between brilliant and bizarre, Holding Hands With Jamie sees Kiely and co annihilating eardrums in nine electrifying blows. Surreal lyrical content - ranging from Sudocrem to Top Gear - is mercilessly buried beneath visceral, techno-inspired noise-rock, filled with raw, puncturing distortion. A thrilling debut.
Where 2013’s {Awayland} saw Conor O’Brien expanding Villagers into a collaborative project, and upsizing his arrangements, this follow-up marks a return to his solo roots. Self-recorded at home in Malahide, near Dublin, Darling Arithmetic finds O’Brien favouring the intimacy of acoustic guitar and piano, and deliberately eschewing figurative language in order to deal candidly with former relationships. As both the title-track and album opener ‘Courage’ attest, the sparser the arrangements, the more devastating the listening. The fact these deeply-personal stories feel universal can only be testament to O’Brien’s skill as a songwriter.
Ham SandwicH haven’t had it easy. While U2 frontman Bono openly condemned their quirky choice of name, the Kells quintet then suffered the loss of their manager just prior to recording their second LP. Fast forward to the present, and a sense of restored pride imbues Stories From The Surface, a triumphant 10-tracker which captures the band’s self-proclaimed “braver” approach. Fusing traditional Irish music with a warm indie-pop swing, this effortless return showcases Niamh Farrell's bittersweet vocals beautifully. Irresistible indie-folk for fans of Fleetwood Mac to soak up.
Kitsch record sleeves, dazzling face-paint, laser light-shows: it’s not hard to see why LE GALAXIE have been dubbed Ireland’s “party band”. After storming the UK festival circuit with their enthralling performances, the Dublin quartet now effortlessly translate the furore of their fiercely likeable live presence into a polished second album. Like their Daft Punk-inspired debut, Le Club reimagines the magic of 80s-era synthpop, only second time around there’s a dash more gloss to the production, no doubt a result of the crossover appeal of early anthems like ‘Midnight Midnight’. A Technicolor taster of one of Ireland’s most colourful contemporary bands.
For somebody who’s had a plethora of side projects on the go since since his 2008 debut, it was never going to be easy to predict quite how The Frames and Kila founder Colm Mac Con Iomaire’s follow-up album might sound. Recorded in no less than five different cities in collaboration with over 20 musicians, And Now The Weather functions as something of a metaphor for the accomplished violinist and film composer’s vast and varied repertoire, spanning classical, soul and folk across 11 stunning instrumentals. Simultaneously soothing and haunting, it’s a timely reminder of Iomaire’s expertise in building lush, cinematic soundscapes, and provides a great entry point for new listeners.
Contains explicit content
