Esben & the Witch (Live at the Crawdaddy) Review Snapshot: The critically acclaimed Esben and the Witch make their Dublin debut in The Crawdaddy, and give a performance appropriate for the fairy tale from which they’re named. A memorable night for those in attendance. The CLUAS Verdict: 7.5 out of 10  Full review: A small crowd of about forty gather for the night's support act, The Ambience Affair. The unsigned Leinster band have to date released two EPs, but with a full length LP in the works expectations are high. Pounding drums and jangling guitar sail the band from track to track, from upbeat to soothing and from start to finish. The band, masters of creating a wall of sound, seamlessly mount guitar and vocals on replayed loops, building a sound far more tangible and expansive than could be expected from a three member group. Once the applause after each song has died down there is a dead silence with frenzied guitar change... [Read on]

A review of the album 'Ritual' by White Lies  Review Snapshot: Has the second album curse taken its next victim? White Lies' new release promises big with some of the biggest names in indie lending a hand along the way. But can the champions of nu-shoe gaze really deliver on the follow up to ‘To Lose My Life’?. The Cluas Verdict? 3 out of 10 Full Review: White Lies' new release ‘Rituals’ appear to be just that, a ritual. It's as if they took their previous effort ‘To Lose My Life’ - songs about love, songs about death - changed the wording around a bit, a dash more synths and, voila, album number two is born. Songs about love and death mean nothing if no feelings are involved. It could be said that their style of expressionless vocals explains the lack of emotion in these songs and those in previous recordings. That is until you compare them with lead vocalists of bands in a similar vein, such a... [Read on]

A review of the album 'Surfing the Void' by The Klaxons Review Snapshot:  'Surfing the Void' is perhaps on the most eagerly anticipated releases of the year, with the band's debut earning themselves the much coveted Mercury Prize. However the past three years have seen an insurgence in the world of indie music, begging the question Is there even any room for the Klaxons any more? The answer is not too positive, based on this release. The Cluas Verdict? 3 out of 10 Full Review: Three years of anticipation have been building around this album, the follow on from the Mercury Prize winning 'Myths of the Near Future'. With tales of drug binges and hallucination conversations with god, the hype surrounding 'Surfing The Void' had built to fever pitch.  In many ways 'Myths…' was so highly rated that whatever followed it never really stood a chance and unfortunately, as with many bands, Klaxons have fall... [Read on]

A review of the album 'Singing From The Grave' by Anna von Hausswolff Review Snapshot: Swedish singer/songwriter Anna Von Hausswolff aims to impress with her debut album “Singing from the Grave”. Light sweeping piano compositions and convincingly powerful vocals provide a strong opening, with first single ‘Tracks of Time’ proving to be the highlight of the record, one that is never quite matched. A record of potential that doesn't fully deliver. The Cluas Verdict? 5 out of 10 Full Review: 'Singing from the Grave’ is the first release from Swede Anna Von Hausswolff, a sometime architect student, who has become one of the most talked about artists emerging from the Nordics. She began her venture into the world of music alone in her apartment with compositions vocally and on the piano, before eventually expanding to a recording studio. Though her expressive vocal give the impression of someone far beyond her 23 y... [Read on]

A review of the album 'As Day Follows Night' by Sarah Blasko Review Snapshot: Aussie songstress Sarah Blasko's third album, but her first to be released in Europe. An album entirely worth repeated listens and will no doubt serve to make Blasko’s excursion northward a worthwhile one. The Cluas Verdict? 7 out of 10 Full Review: The past year has been the reign of the female artist, between the Florences, the Marinas and the Marlings; in the realm of the alternative scene it has been a year where ‘the bands’ have been put on the back burner. Another addition to these ranks is Aussie songstress Sarah Blasko; with numerous ARIA awards under her belt, and after a recent deal this side of the world, Blasko’s been forced to start from scratch on her third album, her first to be released here. Blasko’s silky vocals ring similar to those of Norah Jones and the like, occasionally to her detriment, it is however Blasko&rsquo... [Read on]

A review of the album 'The Winter of Mixed Drinks' by Frightened Rabbit Review Snapshot: The Scottish five piece have returned with their much third anticipated album. The record sees them depart from the alt folk genre, currently saturated with bands like Mumford & Sons and Noah & the Whale. It was a potentially dicey move on their part, one that could have easily backfired. Frightened Rabbit doing shoe-gaze is not something that should have worked, but it ha. And it's far better than anyone could have thought. The Cluas Verdict? 8 out of 10 Full Review: 'The Winter of Mixed Drinks' is Frightened Rabbits third outing, and definitely a worthwhile one. The Scottish natives' notable departure from the Alternative/Folk genre, perfected on their previous album 'The Midnight Organ Fight', was a risk that has definitely paid off. The band that started out as a solo project has since swelled to five members... [Read on]