Single Review

Gangs – Back To School EP

• 6th Oct 2014

Back To School is the debut EP from Dublin’s Gangs, four teenagers with talent and attitude aplenty. The quartet – Jordan Curtis, Dan Smith, James Connolly, and Jonny Halpin – play a melodic form of pop rock that has an edge of garage rock or even 80s new wave underneath. It’s inspiring and the lyrics are surprisingly deep for a band so young.

The four tracks on the EP were produced by Brian Foley, bass player from The Blades. The songs have a coming of age theme, and the sense of place is powerful throughout. The subject may be universal but this is very much a Dublin band. There is passion and teenage love on show, but the undercurrent of anger isn’t ever far away.

Daisy opens the EP with a fast pace, some great guitar riffs over pounding drums. The vocals are strong and there is a real sense of urgency in the three minute tale of young love. Young Employment has even more of that edge, the frustration and rage of youth coming through strongly. The choppy guitar sound and big chorus will make this one a live favourite for sure. There’s a great bass line driving this one forward too. And then the title track Back To School takes more of a brooding indie sound, the vocals again strong throughout.

The closing track is rather different. There’s Poison In Your Liffey Blood has a fine acoustic intro and delves into the darker side of city life as the guitars build the atmospheric sound Slower and yet equally powerful in its impact, this could be the best of the four songs. And it rounds off the EP perfectly.

Gangs was a new name to me, but they are clearly intent on adding their name to the long list of fine Irish rock bands. Musically they are solid and they appear to have a knack for writing songs that will connect them with their audience. This is a polished and accomplished debut from a young band with a big future. Check them out soon.

Venue: Back To School EP
Support Band: Reekus Records