Colm
Full Member
Posts: 221
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Post by Colm on Jan 27, 2012 2:04:13 GMT
From The Irish Times: Little Sparks Delo Records **** Considering that Delorentos’ second album was recorded after a fraught period, during which co-lead singer Ronan Yourell temporarily left the band, it’s little wonder that 2009’s You Can Make Sound had less wind in its sails than its thrilling predecessor. Reparations are made with Little Sparks , which bursts with confidence and vitality. In many ways the Dubliners sound like a different band, zipping from understated ballads ( Petardu ) to chiming, climactic indie ( Little Sparks ) and sunny-side- up melodic pop ( Care For) with a slick self-assurance lacking in their previous material. The conundrum of whether Delorentos want to be daytime radio darlings or a respected indie band is still there, though it matters less with songs of this quality – some of which, admittedly, take time to kindle, but eventually blaze into life. delorentos.net Download tracks : Did We Ever Really Try?, Petardu www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/theticket/2012/0127/1224310778363.html |
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Post by Aisling on Jan 28, 2012 14:22:43 GMT
From Day & Night Magazine, Irish Independent by John Meagher
Third Album sparks success for Dubliners
For a couple of years now, Delorentos have existed in the twilight zone where once-feted bands find themselves after the goodwill has dried up and the inspiration has proved hard to come by.
Their second album failed to match the promise of their first - it suffered from indie identikit syndrome and it came on the back of confused announcements: first they were splitting, they they weren't.
Last November's four-track Little Sparks EP (which arrived with a self-produced magazine in tow) hinted that the Dublin fourpiece had some new tricks up their sleeve but it didn't fully prepare the listener for the quality and consistency of thie gufely assured album.
With Little Sparks, Delorentos should be reappraised again. This is, in part, an album whose big, confident songs put them in the same bracket as Coldplay and Snow Patrol. It also allows a playful side to shine though and one that's introspective and intelligent.
This album was recorded in Dublin over nine months. Rob Kirwan - who worked as an engineer on PJ Harvey's Let England Shake and produced Bell X1's Bloodless Coup - became involved at an early stage. Such a long gestation could have led to laboured music; instead, the songs feel effervescent.
Listen to opener Did We Ever Really Try? to get a sense of the band's going-for-broke
approach. The intro finds Ronan Yourell in full-on 50s retro rock mode, before the song takes an about-turn and gallops down a rollicking electro-pop route.
The intoxicating Care For revels in its naggingly insistent guitar lines, its carpe diem lyrics sung by the band's other lead vocalist, Kieran McGuinness, and the multi-part harmonies at its giddy conclusion.
Even those previously immune to Delorentos' charms are likely to be snared by this song, cut from the same cloth as the bracing pop smarts of Two Door Cinema Club.
Give It Up Now is bound to be a live staple for years to come. Built around big, duelling guitars, it channels the 'big hair' rock of the 80s. It's one of several tracks that celebrates risk-taking and new beginnings.
Elsewhere, especially in the album's quieter, more searching moments, there's ample evidence about how much the band have matured as songwriters.
It's hard to imagine the Delorentos of 2009 penning the elegiac Witness in the Dark or the Stream, which begins s a plaintive acoustic ballad and then morphs into a call-to-arms redolent of Arcade Fire.
Parenting and childhood are persistent themes, while the gentle, lovely Petardu (Spanish for 'little firecracker') is inspired for McGuinness's search for his biological mother. Delorentos' ime in the twilight zone is well and truly over.
Key tracks - Care For; Give It Up Now; Petardu
Album of the Week, 4 stars ****
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Post by Aisling on Jan 29, 2012 12:52:34 GMT
Delorentos almost had it all. A decent debut with In Love With Detail earned them a Choice nomination in 2007 and should have been enough to secure the Dublin-based quartet a record deal. It wasn't, and there followed a fairly average second album in 2009. There were signs of a rebirth last year in the teaser Little Sparks, a four-track EP, followed by an acoustic tour of Ireland. A reinvention comes in the shape of the 1-track. Recorded with award-winning producer Rob Kirwan, Little Sparks exceeds expectations, delivering a polished and purposeful performance, mixing bombastic indie tracks with pop-rock and more sensitive sounds. Highlights include Care For and The Stream, an anthem in the making.
From the Sunday Times Culture section, review by "SM"
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Post by Aisling on Jan 29, 2012 15:18:37 GMT
While Delorentos' road to Irish music stardom has been slow and strewn with potholes, this long-awaited third album sees the Dublin outfit finally slamming pedal to metal. Little Sparks is sparce, delivered vocal-heavy and clutter-free, and leans firmly on tightly-woven guitar splurges and mellow, lovable emo-pop ditties. A brilliantly captivating opening double-salvo of Did We Ever Really Try and Bullet In a Gun, in particular, is destined for heavy radio play, yet their lyrics succeed in projecting guine, thought provoking depth. Superb.
****
Download: Bullet in a Gun
From Sunday Business Post Agenda Magazine, review by James Henidcott
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Post by Aisling on Feb 15, 2012 0:01:30 GMT
UCD University Observer www.universityobserver.ie/2012/02/03/cd-reviews-6/Artist: The Delorentos Album: Little Sparks Rating: B It is clear from Delorentos’ latest album that this Dublin quartet has found its feet and on this, their third album, the band shows a more confident side to themselves. Where You Can Make Sound felt like it was missing something, on this record, it is clear from the off that they are at the top of their game. The record opens strongly with two outstanding tracks, ‘Did We Ever Really Try?’ and ‘Bullet in a Gun’, which instantly capture the listener’s attention and keep them enthralled. There are, of course, some lesser moments. The title track itself is disappointing in its inaccessibility, which coupled with the previous track ‘Right to Know’ causes a slight lag in the middle of the record. ‘Waited for you so Long’, a touching song clearly designed to pull on your heartstrings, and ‘Pace Yourself’, the standout track on the album, however, manage to steer it back in the right direction. Overall, it is a much stronger record than previous releases. In a Nutshell: Bigger, bolder and better than before |
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siobhan
Very Senior Member
Posts: 972
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Post by siobhan on Feb 16, 2012 14:27:39 GMT
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Damon
Full Member
Posts: 138
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Post by Damon on Feb 16, 2012 14:57:50 GMT
Dylan did that interview! |
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siobhan
Very Senior Member
Posts: 972
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Post by siobhan on Feb 16, 2012 20:28:26 GMT
I went into the common room to get it today, but they were all gone, I'm gonna try grab one tomorrow!
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