Nialler9's New Irish Music: The Driftwood Manor, Maria Kelly and more

 SONGS OF THE WEEK

Arborist - I Heard Him Leaving

Mark McCambridge's Arborist project has been a harbinger of alt-folk and indie with a strain of the dour running through it, always countered with truth. Debut album

Home Burial

arrives in November and the lead track from the Antrim artist's album is a fingerpicked American-flecked folk song which shifts the lyrical point of view to a woman's perspective.

Maria Kelly - Stitches

[ Previous New Artist of the Week ]

, London-based Mayo singer-songwriter makes bright acoustic folk-pop music. The sound is prominent on new single

Stitches

, which recalls

Daughter

in its atmospheric folk textures.

Swords - The Letter

Dublin three-piece Swords new album

Tidal Waves

(October 28) is already sounding like a leap for the band.

The Letter

is a song filled with regret for the past but you still want to cosy up to it.

Lowlight Gathering - Walk Away

Walk Away

is a beaut of a song - lilting twilit folk from a Monaghan band who formed four years ago at the behest of songwriter Charlie Livingstone. It's from their new EP

Young Hearts

and marks out this band as ones to watch.

RELEASE OF THE WEEK
The Driftwood Manor - For The Moon

The Driftwood Manor are an Athlone-based five piece who have released three albums and six EPs to date since 2008. They are little known in Ireland despite releases and tours, which take place mainly in the UK. Their latest album is a fine acoustic folk release on Nottingham label Folkwit. It's nine songs are full of pastoral and seasonal imagery, melody and clean lines of folk music. The classic folk arrangements are lifted by the presence of unique elements: electronic beats on

Spring

, country instrumentation, rich harmonies, and even, monk-style chanting on

The Secret People

.

NEW ARTIST OF THE WEEK
The Klares

Young Dublin band The Klares have the swagger of the Arctic Monkeys and the conviction in their indie-rock pop sound to back it up. The band have been playing together for the past four years and new single

Black Huarache

is their apex thus far.

VIDEO OF THE WEEK
The Academic - Mixtape 2003

Directed by Finn Keenan

The Mullingar rockers' debut video takes inspiration from the lyrics to create a humorous visual spin on the song.