• Seneca
• ‘Sweeter Than Bourbon’
• (West Pole Music)

The long-awaited debut album from Limerick four-piece Seneca is top-shelf stuff that comes oozing with spirited, sumptuous melodies and smooth, full-bodied lyrics.

‘Sweeter Than Bourbon’ is the sound of a band more concerned about the arts of song-craft and brewing up something special than they are about fitting into whatever musical trends are cool this month.

Cool Seneca may not be, but the quartet comprised of Rob Hope on guitars and vocals; Yvonne Conaty on bass and vocals; Brendan O’Gorman on guitar; and Daragh O’Loughlin on drums, certainly make up for what they lack in cred with oodles of talent.

Seneca have been compared to the likes of Arcade Fire and Doves but their sound is far more mainstream and less experimentative. ‘Sweeter Than Bourbon’ is not the most original album you are likely to hear this year but it’s one filled with endearing Irish-sounding anthems that are sure to have America in a swoon when Seneca head out there on tour later this summer.

The Limerick band possesses a penchant for the same kind of affecting and gushy melodies that did absolutely no harm for the likes of The Corrs, Damien Rice and our very own Cranberries in the States before them. Songs such as ‘Smile’, ‘Sentimental Freak’ and ‘So Beautiful’ are as Irish as Guinness or Aran sweaters. There is such an air of Emerald Isle mysticism about this record that it has dollar signs stamped all over it. ‘Sweeter Than Bourbon’ could be this year’s ‘O’ or ‘Everyone Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?’

Seneca have what it takes to be a huge commercial success and the proof of the pudding is in the fact that each and every one of the 13 tracks here is just asking to be snapped up by pony-tailed marketing execs for TV advert campaigns. That said, however, there is a depth and beauty to this album that eclipses the crass issue of monetary attainment.

A cross between Snow Patrol and Damien Rice, Seneca blend fluid guitars, propulsive drum beats and breathy female harmonies with frontman Rob Hope’s agile and powerful vocals to deliver a sound that is guaranteed to have hairs standing on end. Lyrically the songs deal with dark and moody topics such as revenge (‘Good For What Ails You’), loss (‘Playing Fair’) and even, domestic abuse (‘Clarity’). The sombre tone of the lyrics combined with the dreamy and weepy feel of the music makes this one stirring and emotional-rollercoaster ride of a record that does exactly as it says on the tin.

(4/5)

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