Richard BodinAs Hermitage Green is getting ready for their fifteenth-anniversary concerts in Limerick’s King John Castle and Whelan’s in Dublin, what better occasion to rediscover their latest and more adventurous album: Connections released in 2024. After more than a decade together, Hermitage Green are a band who could have comfortably stayed within familiar territory. Long associated with a rooted, folk, organic sound, and powered by the band’s undeniable live energy, they have instead chosen to take a noticeable turn.
Connections: An Electronic Turn
The result is a confident and largely successful exploration of electronic textures, that builds on an element that has quietly been part of the band’s DNA for years. Those who have seen Hermitage Green live will not be too surprised, as their sets have often closed on a more electronic vibe. The band decided to build up on this live treat, and let their creativity explore new territories. They did so with brio.
The record opens in a state of suspension. “Younger Days” sets the tone with swirling, looping synths, a droning bass and a sense of gentle propulsion. Nostalgia sits at the heart of the lyrics, but it avoids sentimentality. Midway through, a spoken-word passage introduces reflections on mental health, resilience and the importance of support — grounding the track emotionally and framing the album’s reflective core.
“Close Your Eyes” follows with choppy rhythms and stuttering keyboard lines, gradually opening into a soaring chorus. The track builds towards a saturated peak before stripping itself back, closing on calm piano chords that allow the final verse to land with quiet clarity. The electronic pivot becomes more explicit on “Signs”. The vocals are layered in canon, looping and overlapping on a track driven by heavy bass and a dance-oriented rhythm section.
The Album’s Nervous Heart
One of the album’s most immersive moments arrives with “Driftin’”. True to its name, the track feels like freefall. Looping synth melodies are scaling upwards over droning bass lines, hypnotic in their effect. The song grows patiently before erupting into an intense central passage of whirring guitars and stomping drums, eventually breaking open into a climactic final verse. The accompanying video, shot by Shane Serrano, mirrors the track’s sense of weightlessness perfectly as it sees Barry Murphy drifting through space.
Then comes the epic “Plate Spinner”, featuring fellow Limericker Bobby Fingers (Bob McGlynn of King Kong Company, and former Rubber Bandit). On paper, the collaboration feels unexpected, given the differing energies of the two acts. But the pairing works remarkably well. What begins ominously soon turns into a full-bodied, restless banger. Bobby Fingers delivers his verses with a nervous, almost furious intensity, while Hermitage Green’s chorus brings a fleeting sense of calm. Suddenly the track dies out and surges back in. It does so with even more distortion, the guitars and synths thickening around a vocal performance that feels deliberately on edge.
Later in the album, “Flutes” leans into trance-like repetition, with swirling synth waves and a fast-paced undercurrent that never becomes overwhelming. Barry Murphy’s vocals soar above the electronic loops, providing emotional lift without sacrificing tension.
The Emotional Core
The album’s emotional centre, however, lies in “Tides”. More aligned with the band’s earlier work, it unfolds as a fragile, synth-tinged ballad that appears to address grief and loss. Crystalline textures and restrained instrumentation allow the song’s vulnerability to surface naturally, making it one of the record’s most moving moments. “Sunset” follows seamlessly, offering a sense of resolution and hope, opening with the line “No one will be alone in the end” before gradually building in intensity as piano and rhythm section enter.
A risk worth taking
Exploring electronic soundscapes was a gamble, but it is one the band clearly embraced. Upon release, they acknowledged the uncertainty openly — “whatever happens with the album, we love it.” That confidence permeates the record. Connections is an album that grows with each listen, revealing its depth through atmosphere, tension and emotional nuance. From its floating opening moments to the fragility of Tides, Hermitage Green have not only taken a risk — they’ve taken pleasure in it. And more often than not, that pleasure is shared by the listener.
