New Release of the Week: The Murder Capital - Blindness

Blindness is the new album from Irish band The Murder Capital, yet another group to spring from the country’s fertile post-punk scene of the last few years.

It’s the sound of a band firing on all cylinders and bristling with energy, resulting in eleven songs that don’t hang about in terms of grabbing the listener.

There’s a wider, richer perspective animating the Murder Capital’s new set of songs, brought on by what the five members were bringing to the creative process, differing worldviews arising from their literal new positions in the world.

Drummer Diarmuid Brennan was living in Berlin, bass player Gabriel ‘G’ Paschal Blake was in Letterkenny, guitarist Cathal ‘Pump’ Roper was in Donegal, and guitarist Damien ‘Irv’ Tuit and vocalist James McGovern were in London.

The album prioritizes urgency, energy, freshness – and was recorded in LA with the help of Grammy-winning producer John Congleton.

Sound Pick: Cindy Lee - Diamond Jubilee

Universally praised, shortlisted for the 2024 Polaris Music Prize, and already hailed by Pitchfork as the 3rd best album of the 2020s, anticipation and conversation around the record has been high.

Cindy Lee is the performance and songwriting vehicle of Patrick Flegel (who previously fronted influential indie group Women).

With Diamond Jubilee, Flegel’s undeniable songcraft comes to the foreground, embracing a more instant connection and accessibility.

Timeless tales of love and longing, surrounded by sticky hooks, take the listener on an unforgettable journey.

It’s a long one, too, with the album’s more than two-hour running time stretching across three LPs.

Initially only available to stream on YouTube or download from Geocities, of all places, this is the first time physical copies of Diamond Jubilee have been released.