- By Fred Spanner
The Murder Capital: “Blindness” ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Murder Capital are back, and they’re not messing about.
The Dublin five-piece locked themselves away in their hometown, hammering out 12 tracks in just 10 days with no distractions, and no messing. Then, they jetted off to LA for a blistering three-week recording blitz with Grammy-winning producer John Congleton at the helm. The result? Their most electrifying album yet.
“Moonshot” kicks the door down and demands your attention. It’s raw, it’s raucous, and it’s got that scrappy, Sonic Youth-esque swagger that makes you want to chuck a pint in the air.
Then comes “Words Lost Meaning”, a proper Pixies-styled banger with a riff that’ll stick to your brain like last night’s bad decisions. Play it loud.
“A Distant Life” stomps in with the kind of attitude that’ll tear up a sweaty gig venue. This one’s made for the stage, no question.
Things take a breather as “Born Into The Fight” and “Love Of Country” dial down the chaos a bit before “The Fall” creeps in with a menacing edge, steadily building to a full-blown meltdown.
Then there’s “Death Of A Giant”, the album’s dark horse. It won’t smack you in the face immediately, but give it time. it’ll sink its teeth in eventually.
“Swallow” floats along like a late-night dream before “That Feeling” and “Trailing A Wing” wrap things up with a proper send-off. No fillers, no flab, just a solid finish to an album that demands repeat spins.
It makes the heart glow to know there are still bands out there making albums as raw as this.
After their first two records had critics falling over themselves with praise, Blindness is the sound of a band kicking things up a gear. It’s bold, razor-sharp, and crackling with a newer, raw energy. Strap in.
Stand-out tracks: “A Distant Life”, “Words Lost Meaning ”.
