Kept Under Glass - Silver

Carryduff based power trio Kept Under Glass first popped into my periphery vision back in January after been enamored by their debut single "I Don't Even Like Clubs", a spiky anti-ode to nights out. That single has seen pick up a bit of airplay on Radio Ulster as well as a few other stations. In order to keep up the momentum that "Clubs" has given them, the band have put out a new single in anticipation of a few Belfast gigs they're holding this month.

Unlike the distinctive punk style of their debut single, "Silver" sees the band entering more poppy territory. The song calls to mind the piano based tunes from American groups from the mid 00s like Train and Augustana, as well as having a chorus that wouldn't sound out of place on a Savage Garden song. If the music supervisors of One Tree Hill are looking for a tune to soundtrack the final scene of one of their episodes when one of their unrealistically attractive leading guy makes a dramatic emotional breakthrough and realises how much that he has matured, then they probably could do a whole lot worse that this track.

"Silver" is available as a free download, and will feature on the band's upcoming E.P, which is released on March 18th.

Beaty Heart - Seafood

London based band/video arts group Beaty Heart describe their sound as either 'psychedelic drum pop' or 'funfair-punk'. A much more honest, accurate description would probably be 'a version of Animal Collective that is actually worth listening to.'

Their latest single, "Seafood", is a rhythm driven tune that features tropical-inspired percussion, an incredibly infectious whistled hook, and the ability to give a two-syllable word nine. The band have also released a video to coincide with the release, which features some imaginative, yet stomach-turning culinary compositions.

"Seafood" is released as a limited edition cassette on April 8th.

Dumb - Dive

Did you get the telegram that Radio 1 boss George Ergatoudis sent out at the start of the year? Well to summarize, the mythical, long lost instrument, known colloquially in the dark old days as the "guitar", has been unearthed from a deep, dark country known as "The Interwebs", and their luxurious tones will soon be heard on a best-sellers list near you (preferable one which is aired between 4 and 7 p.m on a popular national radio station). Groovy.

 It's under these conditions that a band such as Birmingham's Dumb can thrive. Their website boasts a backroom team that would put Lady Gaga to shame, including two PRs and a blog czar, and they've already notched up some airtime on the aforementioned radio station of the yoof. This is despite the fact that according to their Facebook page, they've only been a going concern for two months (although a quick internet sweep reveals that some of the members were in a group called The Carpels. No, me neither).

Although I'll try not to be too dismissive of them. After all, their first single, "Dive", is actually pretty good. The song mixes the moody indie-rock that worked so well for Chapel Club on their debut album with the scuzzy, youthful sound of Yuck. It's a strong debut from a group who are well on their way to honing their sound. Just don't be surprised if they end up signed to a major and hogging the airwaves of Radio 1 by the end of the year.

"Dive" will be released on March 31st on newly formed One Beat Records.

Aquilo - Calling Me

I'm going to take a wild stab in the dark and assume Lancaster based four-piece Aquilo are well versed in ancient languages, given that they take their name from the Latin translation for the god of the north wind (as apposed to aquila, the Latin word for eagle).

The group's debut single, "Calling Me", has been greeted by a flurry of excitement among several blogs over the past few days, including Breaking More Waves, Disco Naiveté and many more. The song is a rather chilled electronic affair, somewhat akin to a less live-y version of fellow blog favourites Seasfire. It's perhaps too early to cast judgement on a group with just one song to their name, but given how much excitement it's provoked in just 48 hours, perhaps they might just be worth keeping a watchful eye on.

Album Review - Ciaran Lavery - Not Nearly Dark

(Self-released)

Aghagallon-born Ciaran Lavery has been drifting about the Northern Irish scene for a few years now, firstly under his Captain Kennedy moniker and now under his legal name. The culmination of this work is is debut album, "Not Nearly Dark", an album which rather appropriately drops just as the days are beginning to get much longer. 

The central sound of "Not Nearly Dark" is rather paradoxical. On the one hand, it sounds like it is a very intimate affair, as if Ciaran Lavery alone is in the room with you. Yet the album is largely a band-orientated one, with Mr Lavery being augmented by a traditional line-up, as well as strings and brass. This format is best exemplified by the opening and best track of the album "Little More Time", a folksy little number that whilst expansive, is underpinned by the gentle strum of the acoustic guitar.

The majority of the album follows this format, with a couple of exceptions. "Awful Love" starts with a simple kick drum/guitar combo which slowly builds up throughout the song, as if it's about to erupt into a cataclysmic anthemic climax. Instead, Lavery pulls the rug from under the listener's feet and allows the song to segue into the short organ interlude "Rest", before tapering out altogether. Normally allowing a song to end with a whimper rather than a bang would be somewhat unwelcome, yet on an album as vulnerable as "Not Nearly Dark" this seems to be somewhat appropriate.

The voice that carries the album is one that seems to match the instrumentation of the album. Ciaran Lavery has a voice that sounds somewhere in between E from Eels and Tom Waits, the sort of impure, rugged  voice that could only come about from a life of emotional fragility. It is on tracks like the closing moments of "Follow You Down" that this really comes to the forefront.

"Not Nearly Dark" is an album that could best be described as dependable. If you like your songs folk-flavoured, expansive whilst lo-fi, and with emotions at the front and centre, then you will find a lot to like in Ciaran Lavery's debut album. And with similar offerings by artists like Ben Howard riding high in the charts, there couldn't be a better time for it to be released.

Released: 4th March 2013

Highlights: "Little More Time", "Awful Love".