NewDad – Altar
With a move to London and a pared back lineup, Galway trio NewDad lean towards a more guitar-driven sound on their second album
Since the release of MADRA in 2024, things have shifted for NewDad. A couple of changes on bass have left the shoegazey Galway outfit operating as a trio. The slimmed-down lineup pushes the band towards a more guitar-driven sound on their second album, Altar. What remains from their early work is their command of atmosphere. What’s new is a real prestige in the instrumentation, felt in the soaring interlude on Mr Cold Embrace, the restrained build of Something’s Broken and in the scuzzy layered guitars on the thrillingly furious Roobosh.
Roobosh is also a great showcase for Julie Dawson’s evolution as a frontwoman; her vocals are sharper, her presence more commanding and confident. She explores this directly on the wry and confessional Entertainer: 'No, I won’t stop if I’m falling apart / Keep on running around for you'. The band’s recent move to London means that homesickness and distance shape a lot of the songs here. None more so than Pretty, a straightforward love letter to Galway: 'I love you in every picture… / Haven’t found a better place'. The image of Dawson 'rattling like a toy' by the wild rugged coast captures the enormity of the landscape beautifully.
Listen to: Roobosh, Mr Cold Embrace, Something’s Broken