Sink The Fat Moon

Like most important things, Silverbacks started as a means of distraction for Daniel and Kilian O’Kelly, the songwriters behind the Dublin noise-rockers’ new EP Sink The Fat Moon. Formed for fun and a way of complementing their college degrees in music, any of the experiments they let loose found their way to lofty heights. ‘Atta Boyz’, a scrappy recording done on an inbuilt laptop mic, landed them plaudits from influential lo-fi blogger Songs By Toad. Another single, ‘Fad 1995’ impressed the likes of Don’t Need No Melody and Yvynyl, while an appearance on respected UK music site DIY Magazine found the brothers fielding show offers and label interest. They forged ahead, adding bassist Emma Hanlon and later drummer Gary Wickham and guitarist Peadar Kearney to their lineup and refining their compositional chops. Sink The Fat Moon is the result of their efforts. A buzzy, discordant five tracker, it shows off a maturity to the O’Kellys’ writing while still showcasing what made Silverbacks important in the first place. Guitars squall and drums thrash around Daniel’s laconic refrain in ‘Dirty Money’. Faint traces of Tropicalia sneak into the loose stomp of ‘The Great Father’. New York’s past is buried in the DNA of scuzzy thumper ‘What’s In your Bag?’. Tongue in cheek lyrics about their homeland’s place in the music world masking greater existentialism drives ‘Not Ones To Watch’. Finally, the dour, screeching ‘Holiday In Cambodia’ finishes off the EP in apoplectic style. As statements of intent go, Silverbacks are as clear as a kick in the throat.