Al Byrne
As I busy myself with preparation for an excursion to London for an interview with the lovely Amber Rubarth (here is my itinerary: day one shall be spent getting lost, mugged and settled; day two doing my journalism “thang”; day three missing my flight, and resignedly lying down on the unyielding London streets to await the frosty fingers of death) I chance to receive a text message from old friend Mairéad Kavanagh, informing me that her band, Awake Young Soldiers, have just released their new single, “Captain! Captain!” Now awake, fed and comfortably seated, I dutifully inform you, dear reader, that you can purchase it here. I shall stream and further discuss below the jump.
Captain! Captain! by ZME Music
There’s a definite Mumford & Suns vibe to the song, with its propulsive Celtic folk feel and two- and three-part harmonies, which is always nice. And I’m always a big proponent of male/female counterpoints in a song, at which Awake Young Soldiers acquit themselves wonderfully. In fact, listening a previously released brace of songs at their Bandcamp page, there’s a hint of Damien Rice/Lisa Hannigan – or maybe Glen Hansard/Marketa Iglova, if you want to be like that, and why do you have to be so difficult and nitpicky all the time anyway? – to the group.
And hey: they’re playing some shows.
4 June: Whelans, Dublin – 20:00
18 June: The Phoenix Venue, Kildare – 21:30
26 June: Birr Castle, Offaly – 14:30
