In the last few years, Dublin, Ireland has been the invisible nexus of electronic sound. The polar opposite of the overstuffed Brooklyn scene, craftsmanship—not image or connections—is primary. Slowly, by virtue of quality and inventiveness, several bands have infiltrated these American shores. Solar Bears, the duo of John Kowalski and Rian Trench, were the first to do so with their mindbending LP She Was Coloured In, released late 2010. More recently, bands like I Am The Cosmos and Forrests have made waves stateside. The latest import is the duo Ships, comprised of musicians and artists Simon Cullen and Sorca McGrath.Cullen, formerly of the band Les Bien and a member of the art collective Synth Eastwood, and McGrath, who used to sing for the band Palomine, bonded over their love of Dublin electronic group Moloko, as well as Fleetwood Mac. They are jointed by I Am The Cosmos' Cian Murphy."Places" slowly unfurls amidst a rolling ocean of synths and McGrath's echoing vocals. It's a rather calm entry for the listener, but one that is abruptly ruptured mid-track with a burst of synth arpeggiation, leading the song into the realm of a sublime anthem rather than intricate introspection.Stream and download the track below:
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