Adam KennyExpectations and worries…
To start, Altar is an album I’ve been eagerly but at times tentatively waiting for. Madra was one of the first albums I reviewed on the HiddenTrack and is still something I revisit once in a while . It’s still a solid album that has some great ideas and sounds that stay in my head for ages afterwards.
Admittedly, I was a little worried going into Altar as I wasn’t the biggest fan of some of material NewDad were putting out before. Their EP Safe being a big factor of it. I didn’t hate the EP but I was worried that NewDad were moving away from what I loved about them. The dreary, grim ridden lyrics that were as sharp as a razor’s edge, combined with some great production and direction. Safe didn’t just feel safe, but it seemed a little lost and confused with what they wanted . “Entertainer” was a good example of what I liked from Madra. I was critical of that fac that the band didn’t seemt to be anything fresh or newly inspried on the EP.
However, Altar has met my expectations and then some. NewDad have managed to hold onto what was special about Madra whilst breathing some new life and love into their music.
A varied, young yet experienced sound
To start with, an issue I took with previously was a worry about veering towards more softer and indie pop adjacent sound. As opposed to staying in the more alt rock lane that I found Madra occupied. Songwriting wise, Altar definitely has taken note of certain aspects of other genres but not without applying its own flavour. “Pretty” is a great example of meshing together a new wave style with an accent of indie pop in there. The production overall keeps things in the alt rock lane but the performances and songwriting allow for NewDad to show off. They have a varied yet refined ability to introduce a myriad of sounds and sonic inspirations to their tracks. An aspect of Altar that I think works wonderfully.
New Wave, new tricks
On Altar, there’s still that nostalgic new wave sound that we know from the band. The production has a hint of more lofi and shoegazey aspects tossed in too. The chorus on “Roobosh” will stay in your head the entire day. Julie Dawson, lead vocalist and front-woman for the band, has an amazing performance on here that pairs brilliantly with this almost spooky-synth production, the guitars melody leading the charge. The band’s performances on the album itself are brilliant. Considering this is NewDad’s sophomore album, it’s incredible how tight and consistent they are already.
Everything I Wanted and more!
“Everything I Wanted” is another killer track I wanted to highlight as to me, I think it exemplifies and showcases how well the band tie together some more pop esque songwriting with their sound. Sometimes I find artists don’t understand what makes a pop track sound good. It’s not just the sound and the production. The cadence, flow and rhythm of a song matter so much more than the experimental production or the mainstream appeal that can tear apart the original vision. NewDad are beginning to occupy this space where they understand what makes a song good, and how can they tie it into their sonic direction. “Mr. Cold Embrace” for instance features some orchestral arrangements with some strings being brought in. A swell develops throughout the song and it’s verses that builds to this hopeful but mournful expression of love.
Altar’s final track, “Something’s Broken”, ends the album quite well. It’s one of the the more generic tracks on the album. However the aspects I mentioned before about the production, songwriting and performances hang true still even if melody direction isn’t all that impressive.
Overall
Altar has quite a bit going on from a growth perspective for the band. My biggest worry was that we were going to be given Madra 2 which I wouldn’t complain about that much, but I really was hoping for the band to take some risks. At the end of the day it’s a great record and hearing more from that era would be a delight. However, I wanted to see what else the band was capable of. There were some great ideas and inspirations on Madra, many of which however could pigeon hole and limit the band if they weren’t careful.
Thankfully, I think the band has managed to avoid this fate. Altar is a great follow up and a stellar display of the bands talents. They’ve held onto what made Madra special but not to a point of hindrace. NewDad have shown us what kind of music want to make with Altar, and it’s music that I’m going to keep coming back to for a time to come. I’m again finding myself in the same position that I found myself with when I listened to Madra before where I’m excited to hear what’s next from the band. Altar has made me incredibly exicted for NewDad’s long term and immediate future. I think they’re going to only get bigger and better from here on out. NewDad are one of the best bands in the Irish music scene, which at the moment is some mighty high praise.
