The Irish have been having a cultural renaissance in recent years, and continuing that trend are Galway’s NewDad. Releasing their newest album Altar in mid-September, it serves as a nice continuation of their more niche indie rock sound.

Indie rock does seem slightly derivative of a term for the tones that NewDad are setting out in Altar; the album is far more mournful, and leans on a heavier sound less regularly than their debut album from last year, MADRA. This could well be due to the band’s relocation to London from Galway: in the press release for the album, frontwoman Julie Dawson described Altar as “an exploration of my relationship with home, of being a woman in the music industry, appeasing people and making sacrifices in order to succeed. It’s about the difference between the peace and serenity of home versus the often suffocating nature of London. The album itself is where I divulge my love for home. It’s the idea that Ireland is the altar and it’s the thing that I worship, in a way.”

‘It’s the idea that Ireland is the altar and it’s the thing that I worship’

This worship of Ireland is best seen in ‘Pretty’, a homesick but positive tribute to Galway and the lasting influence of their Irish roots despite moving away. ‘Pretty’ has a beautifully soaring chorus dedicating her love for Galway, and shares that the grey skies and sorrowful air some may see as undesirable are what makes Galway NewDad’s home.

‘Misery’, then, is far more surreal, dealing with the feelings evoked by living in London (‘I fear my love’s been stolen / By this city and its thieves’). This is one of the aforementioned heavier tracks; the alt-rock punch is built throughout the track and is pithy in its execution.

It seems directed towards the music industry, and the personal cost of trying to carve a place for themselves

Dawson’s most explicit exploration of sacrifice is in ‘Entertainer’, seemingly describing a very one-sided relationship. It seems directed towards the music industry, and the personal cost of trying to carve a place for themselves within a cut-throat business. With quick cash-grab acts becoming more commonplace, the lack of investment in artists is caving the UK and Irish music scene from the inside out.

The cost of this is touched on in ‘Everything I Wanted’ – the understanding that their livelihoods are at once sustaining and killing them (‘Cause what I’m breathing in is toxic / I tell myself / I tell myself / That it’s everything I wanted’). Making music for a living seems perfect, but the reality isn’t always as charming. It may seem a tad tone-deaf to complain about how hard it is being an artist in the current political climate, but this misses the mark; not every profession has you putting your very personal work out on display. Success in the music industry is unfortunately tied to how marketable you are, and that marketability is closely linked to how relatable your work is.

There are points in Altar where, if not for Dawson’s lyrical evolution, it would be hard to differentiate from MADRA

Thematically and lyrically, NewDad have evolved nicely since MADRA, however their sound has not progressed much since their early days. Admittedly, this may be due to the single year between Altar‘s and MADRA‘s release dates. This is not to say that Altar sounds bad, and we all know how strongly fans can react to artists’ attempts at moving from the genre that ‘defines’ them. But there are points in Altar where, if not for Dawson’s lyrical evolution, it would be hard to differentiate from MADRA.

Altar still stands as a solid release for the tail-end of the year, and one to listen to if you’re familiar with their earlier work, or simply want to bask in Ireland’s continued domination of the music industry.

7/10

---

You might also like:

Live Review: Busted VS McFly

Album Review: Wolf Alice – The Clearing

Redbrick Meets: Radio Free Alice