Galway trio NewDad are already on their second record, only a year after the release of their coveted debut album Madra. Sophomore album, Altar, released in September and has been slowly but surely building up favours since. The twelve track recording explores the journey of the group relocating to London from their Irish homestead, and how such pressure of the Big Smoke and their rising success was leading to some complex feelings.
The first half of the record, although good and steady, almost feels too safe. ‘Other Side’ is a nice opener however, as if the band’s dreams started to stand still as they kept running for the next win. It’s rocky, screeches in the right place and sets the tone for the next few tunes. ‘Heavyweight’ is a good example of how the album dissects its stories. Whilst bass and drum tell their own brilliant story, lyrics are taken on waves of indie rock and harmonic symphonies and its simply decent music. Also I’m a sucker for a ‘la la la’ backing vocal, what can I say.
‘Pretty’ has a pretty catchy riff for starters and starts to instil that the record seems to take place in a consistent headspace. Bass brings an uplifting sound down to a level that matches the track’s lyricism. ‘Roobosh’, described by lead singer/guitarist Julie Dawson as being about ‘being fed up’ gives hints of a new direction. Strong bass and a bit of a scream feel like the release from pent up almost restriction from the past songs.
‘Misery’ and ‘Sinking Kind Of Feeling’ blatantly take on exploring homesickness. It’s a feeling that most can relate to but is really hard to truly work on as its painful enough at the surface, never mind digging deeper. However, the band take it in their stomp in ‘Misery’, angrily but well executing the theme. It builds into the following tune, a successful track lyrically, again putting you in their headspace. At this point however, the record starts to feel a tad repetitive, and I found myself still in tune, but ready for a little change.
‘Puzzle’ is the point of difference for me, a simple song on paper but is one of my stars of the album. It just hits the mark, with the ending revealing a vulnerability that has been there the whole time but really enriches Altar as a whole. ‘Entertainer’ opens with a wow, another great that you honestly just have to experience to get. ‘Everything I Wanted’ continues this impressive streak, taking the listener on a more intense tour of navigating the aforementioned difficult emotions.
The last three songs are equally as strong, sensing immediately as big moments in the record. ‘Mr Cold Embrace’ builds from the quiet, merging a beautiful musicality with hard emotion. ‘Vertigo’ has an unmatched production that is wonderfully almost jarring, and last track ‘Somethings Broken’ is a comfortable ending, ironically all about how important comfort is, even when found in places we know maybe aren’t the best.
Altar takes us on an incredibly vulnerable journey through homesickness and the prices of success. NewDad are opening up in ways that turn their pressures into powerful lyrically and strong musicality. Whilst I hope for some more risky tracks on the next release, this record defines the bands sound and is extremely promising for future projects.
8/10
