HamsandwicH’s third album has already proved to be a seismic event in their native Ireland: the first independent release to top the chart since Irish charts began in 1992, it was shortlisted for the Choice Music Prize Album of the Year Aware (the Irish equivalent of the Mercury Prize).
The fact they’ve supported both Bon Jovi and Mumford and Sons is something I’m just going to leave for you all to judge the merits of.
Their sound is solid yet delicate. Webs of chiming guitar interlace over a sturdy rhythm section on ‘Hold Me Up’, and the album is brimming with airy pop songs. I’d reluctant to throw in an all-too obvious comparison to The Corrs, but when they fiddles are soaring over the lilting female-focused harmonies, it’s impossible to ignore. However, this fails to acknowledge the counterpoint offered by Podge McNamee’s baritone against Naimh Farrell’s voice, and also fails to reflect the album’s stylistic range: ‘Apollo’ goes noodly jazz-infused math-rock, with a tight disco groove, and they effortlessly switch between grand, sweeping arena-capacity choruses to intimate and reflective melodies.
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With such a high-profile production team behind the album (recorded and produced by Karl Odlum, who’s worked with Damien Rice, The Frames and Gemma Hayes, mixed by Greg Calbi, whose credits include Bruce Springsteen, talking Heads, Paul Simon, John Lennon, St Vincent, The National, War on Drugs, and mastered by Danny Kalb (Beck, Ben Harper, Karen O), that it’s intelligently and sensitively assembled should come as no surprise, but ultimately, an album’s strength relies on the songwriting and the performance. And on those fronts, HamsandwicH have an album that deserves to see them reach a substantial UK audience. I only hope for their sake the name isn’t too much of an obstacle.
HamsandwicH Online
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