Ear Worm #4

Steven O’Rourke
Nirvana – ‘Lithium’
There’s been a lot of talk of Nirvana this week (On The Record, Swear I’m Not Paul, mp3hugger and more) and it set me thinking. I haven’t actually listened to Nevermind since reading the Charles Cross biography Heavier than Heaven.

The book had its flaws but it showed a complex and troubled character far more interesting than the myth he’d created for himself. In doing so, it took something away from the music Cobain had created becuse I felt almost embarrassed for falling for the myth.

That’s stupid of course, and while I’ll never hold Nirvana in as high regard as I may have once, tracks like ‘Lithium’ below are still an important stepping stone in any music fans’ development.

Peter Nagle
Iron & Wine – ‘Walking Far From Home’
My one and only time to have seen Iron & Wine live was back in October 2007 in The Ambassador. It was a rare journey out for us as our daughter who was a light sleep was only four months old. So we were upstairs in the comfy seats and we commented on the fact that the whole band looked like Geography teachers in dodgy jumpers! As the musicianship was perfect, the songs so relaxing and Sam Beam’s voice was so calm we at different times drifted in and out of sleep! It’s the only time I feel asleep at a gig.

This week Iron & Wine released their forth album ‘Kiss Each Other Clean’. The lead single from the album is the outstanding ‘Walking Far From Home’. It’s a song I could listen to on repeat for hours. It’s multi-layered with charm and feel good sounds.

Eoghan O’Sullivan
Cloud Castle Lake – ‘Lost In The Woods’ (Kanye West cover)
There is so much to enjoy on the new compilation from Quarter Inch Collective. basically it is Irish bands covering any band they like. We get the likes of new blog darlings Squarehead covering blog darlings Adebisi Shank (and managing to make the Shank a million times more listenable0; Fade Street stars Kid Karate covering Tinie Tempah’s ‘Pass Out’ and many more tunes worthy of your time. The Quompilation acts as both a glimpse at the multitude of talent in Irish bands right now, and a nice Irish alternative to BBC’s Live Lounge.

The standout track though, is Cloud Castle Lake’s take on Kanye West’s cover of Bon Iver’s ‘Lost In The Woods’ (Did the internet just explode with excitement?). Ever since I heard the penultimate track on Kanye’s career defining opus, I thought it would be an immense song to try and cover. And somehow, CCL pull it off. And not a bit of autotune in sight. You can download the whole album at Bandcamp. And if you need convincing, just listen to that astounding Kanye track below.

Cloud Castle Lake – ‘Lost In The Woods’ (Kanye West cover)

Kevin O’Neill
Noah & the Whale – ‘5 Years Time’
I must hold my hands up and say that I was always pretty dismissive of Noah & the Whale. How could I not be? That first single – the sickeningly sweet, whistle driven ‘5 Years Time’… It was all too much to stomach.

When they re-emerged a few years later with the radically different First Days of Spring, I thought it best to give them a second chance. Gone were the silly indie-pop hooks, and in was a dark and brooding album about love and loss – I had to check more than once that it was the same band. As a result of this drastic step, I was rather excited to hear what the band was going to release this time around when album number 3 sits on the horizon.

The lead track is the simply wonderful ‘L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.’. Wonderful not because it is more of the morose intensity of the band’s second album, but because it is a return to the pop sensibilities of the debut. Driven by a very ‘Lola’-esque rhythm, the track is almost disturbingly easy to listen to.