While Irish pop and indie acts have staked their claim to mainstream musical success, the last few years have also seen a rumbling among trad artists across Ireland. As greater attention is turned towards the wider folk renaissance, Irish folk artists have emerged morphing traditional songs and sounds through increasingly experimental means, incorporating disparate genres as drone, jazz and electronic music into age-old tunes.
Dublin’s Madra Salach (which translates to ‘Dirty Dog’) are the latest group following fellow Irish folk stalwarts using a more avant-garde sonic palette. With the release of their debut single ‘Blue & Gold’, Madra Salach establish themselves as another exhilarating addition to the burgeoning Irish experimental folk canon.
Swirling harmoniums provide a murky drone before Paul Banks’ crackling Northside cadence cuts through the mist, proclaiming his excitement for the titular blue and gold scratch card that is certain to pull him out of poverty. Banks is joined by trickling mandolins before a thunder clap of drums and distorted bass brings the tune to its apotheosis, sounding more like the tolling of funeral bells than a rhythm section. ‘Blue & Gold’ is a morose yet rousing statement of intent from the young Dublin act conveying that even at such an early stage of their career they are capable of timeless narration, progressive arrangement and fierce delivery.
Photo by Robbie Stickland
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