W&H were lucky enough to have the post-Xmas blues banished by a cracking double-header featuring Cork's Ian Whitty & The Exchange and local boys making good Armoured Bear, so we were hardly likely to pass up the chance of a return match at the same venue.
De Barra's is impressively full for a mid-week show and a frisson of expectancy hangs in the air. Armoured Bear appear onstage to cheers of goodwill as 10pm strikes and it's soon apparent that their run of gigs with The Exchange has done them no harm at all. Their debut album 'Honeycomb Moons' has been receiving steadily positive press and tonight most of their songs are greeted like the most welcome of old friends dropping by.
There's a confidence and rich diversity present in Armoured Bear's sound which is especially pleasing in these days of identikit Indie contenders. Opener 'With Grace' is deceptively light and jazzy, with bassist John Fitzgerald manning an upright bass, while established favourites like 'Faster' and '9 Lives Or Tomorrow' are driven along by sunny guitar melodies and Laurie Hedger's supple drumming.
Dynamics are no means a problem, either. Tunes like 'Fall' (with its' repetitive chorus line “you must give it to me!”) and the freshly-minted 'Shut Down' – where frontman Anthony Noonan craftily samples himself – show the Bear can channel darker, heavier material with their credibility intact. They're hardly wanting in the Killer Singles department either, as the amusing, boss-hating groove of 'Devil & Me' and the determined pop-reggae lurch of the closing 'Imagination' make doubly clear: the latter ensuring Armoured Bear leave the stage to rapturous applause and tenfold approval
As with Armoured Bear, IAN WHITTY & THE EXCHANGE are fast becoming hot property on the Irish circuit and again they're more than deserving of their reputation, tonight delivering a set that's long on drive, melodicism and craft.
The Exchange have really settled in behind these songs and they're an extremely talented band. Bassist Paddy Rahilly and guitarist brother Flor bring punch and texture, Anthony Noonan re-appears behind the drum kit and supplies agility and power as required and Luke Cosgrave's violin adds both grace and aggression to songs as disparate as the deceptively dreamy 'Fallen Stars In Late Night Bars' and the urgent recent single 'Houndstooth Shirt'.
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Ultimately, though, its' Ian Whitty's talent as a songwriter which really sets them apart. His lyrical attention to detail always stands out and all his best tunes (the list is lengthening very healthily) such as 'Walking To Meet You' (“let the change curl around us like a soft summer hymn”) and the handclap-tastic 'Not On Your Side' (“I had a Batman's belt, I had a grappling hook/ but still I lost my Queen to a smarter Rook”) boast a wealth of smart, Costello-ish observations and potent melodic hooks.
Naturally, debut album 'The Lucky Caller No.9”s best moments are all rightly showcased, but there's already a healthy smattering of new and memorable material elbowing its' way into the set. 'Prettiest Dress' contains impressive muscle and a chorus dying to spill from radios up and down the land. 'The Bottom Line”s tale of financial hardship sounds especially fitting in an Ireland on the ropes of the Budget and then there's a tough'n'tuneful affair called 'Rodeo' which Ian describes mysteriously as being about “getting punched in the face and thanking the guy who did it.” Whatever the truth behind that, the song has more a few strong hooks of its' own to unleash and it brings a night of memorable creativity to a close on a high.
At a time when indie rock often seems so safe and mediocre, it's a pleasure to attend a show brimming with as much life and diversity, not to mention a dazzling display of corking tunes coming at you from fascinating angles all their own. Whether in tandem or standing alone, Ian Whitty & The Exchange and Armoured Bear are great young bands to cherish. Miss out on them at your peril.
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