A young indie rock four-piece band hailing from none other than from Ennis, Co. Clare, Budapest have made a very encouraging start via their literally homemade debut LP. Hinting at the likes of Wire vocally to the Horrors, Wilderness was recording in various "sitting rooms and kitchens" of the band member’s houses. As you might well expect, this offers a nice, lo-fi atmosphere to the whole recording, its standout track ‘Where I Go’ offering up an impassioned semi-anthem full of personal grit and clawing hope. Given more exposure and a slight progression in terms of original composition, they are sure to do better things.
Essentially Dublin’s answer to our very own Ed Zealous, Hawklion are a synth-pop band based in Dublin. Having just released their debut EP, Gold + Silver, the band already sound fully formed, their shimmering, decidedly upbeat approach encompassing a much broader, fuller sound than many bands of their ilk. Hawklion are the kind of band who, despite just having raised their collective heads as a band, could be on everyone’s lips in the space of a month or two given the right circumstances. Hit up the title track from the aforesaid EP release.
As ever on That New Band Smell, we end up north this week for our final act, HOWL. Possibly named after the Ginsberg poem, the six-piece incorporate burrowing horn lines, meld them with garage/dub vocal tangents, whilst the bigger picture is one perhaps best described as soul-inflected indie-pop. This is just going on their debut single, Samson. That said, a greater focus on keeping rhythms tight and the recording process will do them the world of good if they continue to write and record in this vein. HOWL are a potentially brilliant band in the making. Here’s hoping it comes together.
