NewDad – Madra – Album Review
by Killian Laher

Irish band NewDad have been working on their debut album for some time, and in the meantime have amassed a following who have been eagerly awaiting it.  It opens with Angel which has echoes of Nirvana filtered through Cara Joshi’s Cure-like bassline.  The track gets quite heavy towards the end, in some ways it feels like a really strong album ending track with its dramatic drum flourishes, but this is only the beginning.  Sickly Sweet allows Sean O’Dowd to play some really inventive guitar parts oscillating between scratchy and jangly, allied to a strong, prominent bassline.  Where I Go opens all sweet and dreamy with Julie Dawson’s gorgeous vocals, building up to something of an anthem as the guitar riffs kick in.

The sweet and poppy Change My Mind and Nosebleed will appeal to anyone who enjoyed last year’s Slowdive album, the majestic groove of the latter also evoking Angelo Badalamenti’s Twin Peaks soundtrack.  We also get the Sundays-like jangle of In My Head and the shimmering Dream of Me where Dawson sings “I’m not on your mind but you’re still fucking with mine”.  Let Go combines Dawson’s spooked-out vocals with some excellent guitar work from O’Dowd.  The penultimate track White Ribbons sounds like, of all things, Arab Strap, from a musical perspective.

There’s no getting away from it: the album tirelessly evokes a 90s sound, often described as shoegaze or dreampop.  However, rather than slavishly copy the past they have come up with a great collection of songs.  It doesn’t sound like a debut, more like the work of an established band.

Angel