In a year where Irish music has lost so many legendary voices, it’s incredibly heartening to hear the modern musical landscape around the country continue to push boundaries and break the rules. Lankum have painted epic historical portraits for the ages while Mary Wallopers continue to lead the trad revival in riotous style, but when it comes to rule breaking and abandoning tradition altogether there’s no one quite like The Scratch.
On their second studio album, the Dublin quartet go further in their relentless quest to meld traditional folk with heavy metal, and the resulting sound is a gloriously chaotic fusion that is both addictive and unforgettable. Recorded in the appropriately named Black Mountain studios in Louth and produced by none other than James Vincent McMorrow, Mind Yourself finds The Scratch pursuing harder hooks and heavier melodies than previously dealt out on debut Couldn’t Give A Rats three years prior.
Standouts Banshee and lead single Cheeky Bastard no doubt destined to become staples of the already notorious live shows which the band have made their name on since they arrived on the scene. Significantly though, it’s not all noise – as enjoyable as the early onslaught of sound may be, there are moments of reflection and vulnerability found on Mind Yourself which shine a light on The Scratch’s songwriting abilities in addition to their guitar chops, as Hole In The Ground and Shoes demonstrate the bands varied skill set in harmonic style. It all indicates the arrival of another trailblazing new sound in the Irish music sphere.
Words: Andrew Lambert
The Scratch – Mind Yourself
[Sony]
