Sons of Southern Ulster – Turf Accountant Schemes

By RingMaster Review on August 16, 2021 • ( 0 )

Word of mouth or the passing through hands can lead to great things in our experience and part why we share the sound that excite us on The RR and certainly in the case of Turf Accountant Schemes it is proof of the pleasures that can inspire.

The EP is the new offering from Irish band Sons of Southern Ulster; a four track release arising from their collaboration with Boomtown Rats member Pete Briquette. The band is a County Cavan bred outfit as too the bassist, record producer and composer and after being passed the band’s 2020 album, Sinners and Lost Souls by a mutual friend, he reached out to quartet about remixing a few tracks from the release.

Sons of Southern Ulster consisting of bassist Paddy Glackin, drummer Noel Larkin and its songwriting partnership of vocalist Justin Kelly and guitarist David Meagher are inspired by and reflect on “the experience of growing up in a small southern border town”, theirs within the surrounds of Bailieborough, County Cavan. Briquette, coming from another in Ballyjamesduff, could relate to their themes as well as simply being taken with the band’s sound. The fact that Kelly was “obsessed with The Rats” as a youngster meant the surprise offer from the latter was a done deal.

Lead single Polaris (Pete Briquette Remix) was recently released and soon drawing eager plaudits ahead of the EP’s unveiling; the track a compelling teaser for the whole interest inviting outing. An initial electronic sparkle immediately lures intrigue loaded shadows and atmospheric implication, this soon joined by the poignant words and tones of Kelly. It is a poetic casting of reflection which courts the imagination as fully as Briquette’s striking weave of the song’s already established intimation loaded sounds; the contemplation of lost opportunity, regret and greater darkness wrapped in similarly thematically sharing endeavour and music.

It is a powerful start to a release which is soon evoking and capturing greater lust in our captivation with the following Live In The Past swiftly gripping ears and our punk bred instincts with rapacious energy. The track is a tempest of sonic trespass but with a control that belies its feral breeding. As rousingly infectious as it is voraciously insistent, the track mixes the warped indie pop of Wall Of Voodoo with the imposing invasive drama of Inca Babies within its own uniqueness, creating an addiction which Briquette’s touch and imagination only escalates for one of the year’s most thrilling moments so far.

Stubby Yellow Fingers strolls in next with its own commanding almost menacing air. It too has an instinctive catchiness to its caustic tone and edge which the remix brings out in greater strength and threat, an “I dare you to dance and swing” attitude exuding from the track. Again the sounds and their trespass simulate and reflect the bearing and the broody musing of words and their vocal sharing with striking effect.

The EP is completed by Fear My Scorn, a track driven by a Gang Of Four-esque rhythmic incursion which continues to drive the song even as it unveils its tapestry of invention and creative twists. It is a landscape as dramatic as the contemplation shared by Kelly, one with moments of intrusive manipulation as addictive as the melodic uproar it also creates.

Turf Accountant Schemes is a must even for fans already embracing the outstanding Sinners and Lost Souls, Sons of Southern Ulster and Pete Briquette finding and bringing out new shades and darker implications within all four impressive offerings.

Turf Accountant Schemes is released August 27^ththrough Hanging Tree with pre-ordering available @ https://sonsofsouthernulster.bandcamp.com/