Immediate effect

 

http://www.myspace.com/theimmediate

 

Irish bands with an ounce of originality are an extremely rare commodity these days, with most having opted to pre-package themselves as the new U2, Oasis or Coldplay over the last couple of decades.

 

So, when a young band like Dublin's The Immediate come along it blows a hurricane-force breath of fresh air right across the music world.

 

And this hotly-tipped outfit make a welcome return to the province on Thursday, at Belfast's Black Box, to promote their stunning debut album, In Towers And Clouds, which was released last month.

 

Ulster music fans were lucky enough to catch their scintillating show at this summer's Glasgowbury Festival in Draperstown will truly appreciate what all the fuss is about.

 

Unlike most conventional quartets, The Immediate ? David Hedderman, Conor O'Brien, Barra Heavey and Peter Toomey ? can boast four vocalists, three drummers, three guitarists and three bassists, thanks to their musical versatility.

 

The band regularly swap instruments and vocal duties during their live shows and it seems that this is also the norm in the studio and during the writing process.

 

Some of the songs on In Towers And Clouds have been crafted from fragments of lyrics written separately by three members of the band.

 

The continual shift of focus within the band has delivered an intelligent, leftfield guitar album, brimming with originality and energy.

 

No two tracks sound alike, and on any given song it's difficult for the listener to predict where it's going next.

 

Just when you think they're going to burst into a big anthemic chorus, The Immediate take you down with a nervy, agitated guitar hook.

 

Initially, this can be very irritating, but then you realise they've taken you to a far more interesting soundscape.

 

So, somewhat ironically, the album is far from immediate, taking several listens to work its way under the skin, but once it gets there it's pretty hard to shift.

 

Opening tracks Aspects and Lonely Locked Up are Strokes-lite indie rock, while the magnificent Big Sad Eyes with its mariachi horns comes over like a blissed-out Oasis.

 

Fashion Or Faith and Don't You Ever find them somewhere between Talking Heads and Gang Of Four, while Let This Light has echoes of fellow Dubliners U2 in experimental mode.

 

But it's the closing trio of songs on this 11-track debut that are truly remarkable for a band so young.

 

Stand-out track, A Ghost In This House, with its shimmering falsetto vocals and choirboy harmonies is simply gorgeous, while the title track is an atmospheric, electronica-soaked anthem waiting to happen.

 

Can't Stop Moving brings this magical mystery tour of an album to its close at the fairground, with a psychedelic slice of woozy pop, with the vocal ghosts of Tom Verlaine and Bob Geldof along for the ride.

 

The album was recorded with US producer Chris Shaw (Wilco, Super Furry Animals, Public Enemy and Bob Dylan) in Surrey at the end of last year.

 

And the band's wide-eyed musical ambitions have translated well in the studio, resulting in an album crammed with unexpected musical delights.

 

The Immediate are right here right now.

 

? The Immediate play Belfast's Black Box on Thursday. In Towers And Clouds is out now on Fantastic Plastic Records.

 

http://www.sundaylife.co.uk/features/story.jsp?story=705820

Yup they are one of Irelands best kept secrets along with these bands too.

 

http://www.myspace.com/dukespecial

myspace.com/bellx1

myspace.com/delorentos

myspace.com/theflawsmusic

myspace.com/directormusic

Yeah they're brilliant! Just got around to getting their album and it's very promising! :)