Sister Ghost - Beyond The Water (album, Third Bar)
SISTER Ghost first featured in this column 10 years ago, so to say that the debut album from Shannon O’Neill has been a long-time coming is something of an understatement.
Happily, Beyond The Water has been worth the wait (as if there was ever any doubt). Released yesterday, on Halloween - naturally - this Brad Wood (Liz Phair, Veruca Salt) produced record represents a satisfying culmination of a decade’s worth of hard work, during which the Derry-bred singer, guitarist and songwriter has steadily honed her grunge/punk/indie/rock-informed, queer POV songwriting into a practically irresistible prospect.
What pleases me most as a long-time fan, is that in the near-decade its taken to arrive at Beyond The Water, Sister Ghost’s sonic palette has expanded without ever straying too far from the essential ingredients/influences which made early releases like Scent, Growing Pains and the In a Spell EP so exciting.
You only need listen to the breadcrumb trail of excellent singles leading up to (and included on) the album for ample evidence of this, from the thrilling quiet/loud/quiet emotional rollercoaster of Backwards and defiantly anthemic pop-punker I Bite Back, to the delightfully dark and twangy gothic guitar pop of Dark Matter and Cut Like a Thorn’s surf-y, Ash-y, heartfelt ode to lost loved one.
As for what we haven’t heard before, attention-getting album opener She’s Wild is a loud guitars-laden treat which builds upon the promise of these previously released tunes, along with another impressive newie in the form of uber-catchy break-up anthem, Drain You (no, not the Nirvana tune).
Attention-getting album opener She’s Wild is a loud guitars-laden treat which builds upon the promise of previously released tunes, along with another impressive newie in the form of uber-catchy break-up anthem, Drain You (no, not the Nirvana tune)
Later, woozy mid-album highlight Death is A Kiss starts off in a grunge-gaze manner before stripping things right back to coo-ing vocals, hushed percussion and clean electric guitar strumming prior to launching into its powerful, soaring choruses.
Likewise, a pair of slinky alt-rock love songs, Stray and Puzzle, expertly fold moments of contemplative quiet into an abundance of chiming/swirling guitars, while one of my favourites on the record, Life in Reverse, starts off with a snake-y guitar riff that Therapy? Andy Cairns would be proud to call one of his own and quickly builds into a defiant foot on the monitors rocker.
Elsewhere, Scorpio Moon slows things down for a moody, fuzzy and thumping survivor anthem, prior to Shannon revisiting one of the oldest Sister Ghost numbers, Scent, for an album0-closing last blast replete with a scorching, FX-lathered space rock guitar solo.
Compare it to the pleasingly raw and lo-fi single version from 2014 (if you can find it) and it’s clear just how far Shannon and Sister Ghost have come, without ever forgetting those essential DIY punk rock roots.
Let the haunting commence immediately via sisterghost.bandcamp.com and don’t miss the upcoming all-ages album launch show at HMV Belfast on November 9 - see below for details.
Also released:
Problem Patterns - Blouse Clubland (album, Alcopop!)
THIS ‘surprise’ remix album finds a selection of Problem Patterns’ musical mates giving their barnstorming queer punk debut LP a dancefloor-friendly make-over/under.
Blouse Clubland is available to buy/stream via Bandcamp and other online platforms, and also as a limited edition cassette (though mine still hasn’t arrived - pull the finger out, Jack) which is ideal for blasting at speaker-melting volume from the tape deck in your Vauxhall Nova on the way to Hellraiser at the Ulster Hall.
It is, in a word, ‘banging’ - and, as an added bonus, some the Problem Patterns lyrics are actually easier to decipher on these versions than the originals.
Key choons: Bigger, Shoutier, Can’t Fire Me I’m Raving, A History of Bad Men Pt III, YAW(N)
Sound of Belfast / Output Belfast
BACK for another year of live music and music-related events, Sound of Belfast 2024 runs from November 7 to 17 at various venues across the city and incorporates Output Belfast’s annual one-day music conference and live showcase programme on November 12, along with the NI Music Prize Awards on November 13.
There’s almost too much going on to get your head around, an eclectic musical smorgasbord ranging from the NI Hip Hop Convention (Nov 7-8, Hotbox HQ) and the launch of a new monthly ‘album appreciation’ night, Bonded (Nov 7, Oh Yeah), to a taster evening for a new project called Surround Sounds: Irish Forests, Rivers and Peatlands which combines music with environmental sounds (Nov 17, SARC) and an evening of yoga and ambient tunes in Sacred Sounds (Nov 17, Shankill Mission).
Let’s pick out some Noise Annoys-friendly highlights in-between: you’ve already read about the Sister Ghost album launch show at HMV Belfast on November 9 above, but I’ll surely be getting a boot up the hole from WW-ally Shannon if I don’t mention this year’s Women’s Work showcase (Nov 16, Oh Yeah) which platforms up’n’coming female-centric artists. Beauty Sleep, Martha Dark, Lord Jane, Big Tears and Boringbrxwneyes are on the bill, along with a special debut musical performances by the Tutti Music Club, the Belfast-based music club “for girls, gays and theys” run by Ciara Problem Patterns and Katie Hex Hue (who have also curated the entire event).
Queer indie-popster Susie Blue will launch their new Venite Ad Me EP (Nov 7, Ulster Sports Club), The Oh Yeah-based all ages gig collective Volume Control are back with another Clash of The Newbreeds (Nov 8, Oh Yeah) ‘battle of the bands’-style showcase featuring six young and hungry bands doing their thing, Belfast indie folkster Aoibha will be staging a show aptly titled Aoibha and Indie Folk Friends (Nov 10, Black Box Green Room) and Derry’s own Roe will be headlining an as-yet-undisclosed location at The Factory Sessions (Nov 14, TBC).
This year’s Sound of Belfast also marks the long-awaited return of ironically named Belfast-based indie rock slackers Careerist (Nov 14, Limelight 2) who delivered their fantastic album Weird Hill back in 2019 and then kind of gradually disappeared, the scamps.
Belfast solo star Ciaran Lavery has been rather more active of late, what with gearing up to release his latest album Light Entertainment on November 15: he’s even come up with an ‘immersive live show’ (Nov 14, Lyric Theatre) to celebrate it.
Finally, there’s just room to mention Belfast indie-folk/pop troubadour Rory Nellis, who is sharing a double-headline bill with likeminded Holywood artist Sarah McReedy (Nov 15, Belfast Barge), both in full band mode.
There’s plenty more in the programme besides that lot - get the full picture at soundofbelfast.com.
