* En anglais uniquement
Sydney-based indie rock outfit
Castlecomer deliver uptempo dance rock that blends the sounds of 2000s garage rock revivalists like
the Strokes,
the Bravery, and
Von Bondies with the rhythmic groove of contemporaries like
Night Riots and
Atlas Genius. Though their early-2010s efforts veered closer to the pastoral folk-rock of
Fleet Foxes and
Mumford & Sons, they updated their sound by the end of that decade on their first LP,
Castlecomer, adding pop-friendly polish to their angular anthems.
Named after a village in Ireland, the group comprises four cousins -- frontman Bede Kennedy, guitarist Tommy, keyboard Neely, and drummer Patch -- and their mate, bassist Joe, who were friends since childhood. Originally, the group took inspiration from
CSNY and
Mumford & Sons, issuing a pair of folksy EPs (2013's Lone Survivor and 2014's Miss December). As their sound developed, they began to draw from contemporaries like
Foals and
the Wombats, adding youthful energy and catchy hooks to the mix. Relocating to Nashville, they recorded a trio of singles ("Fire Alarm," "All of the Noise," and "Move") that landed on their official debut full-length,
Castlecomer (Concord Records), produced by
Scott Horscroft. ~ Neil Z. Yeung