single review ~ autumns ~ 'commitment'

Christian Donaghey is a rare breed of  musician. Through careful craftwork of his sonic and lyrical prose, he has managed to accomplish more in his short time as 'Autumns' than many bands will throughout their career. From the inception of this new project only a year ago,  record labels and management executives have cast an eye towards Donaghey's dream like soundscapes, citing his minimalist visuals and waltz like tracks as potential trendsetters. The release of new single 'Commitment'  has already won the Derry native radio airplay and Encore NI was certainly keen to investigate the hype. To believe or not to believe? This was the question...

No stranger to the effects pedal, Autumns new single 'Commitment' takes no time in making its point. At just under three minutes long, it's a public burial of the pop single blue-print, allowing a woozy bass line and Fugazi styled overtones to entrance the listener. Autumns make music within a silhouette, as if to shroud their true feelings in a haze of feedback. Although you never feel Donaghey is prepared to hold back his real emotion, he simply wants you to work for it.

This single would not look out of place in Liverpool's sludge-pop scene, (alongside the likes of Go Fiasco etc) though equally Autumns embrace of the darker end of indie's diverse spectrum could have seen them send Manchester's Haçienda into raptures ~ and yes, this is a bold proclamation for an act so young, but one we feel is entirely justified thus far.

While their dark and brooding melodies take a degree of influence from the ghosts of art-punk past, there's enough here to suggest Autumns may be a very unique act. Giving shoegaze a new lease of life, this is the sound the likes of Ballymena's sadly defunct Frank&Beans may have one day achieved under different circumstances. Effortless grunge, with layers of possibilities.

Though perhaps this development  shouldn't surprise us, this is the band who released their debut single on cassette tape after all...

Taylor Johnson

For fans of: The Horrors, Joy Division, Pixies
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