The Scratch featuring Conor Dockery (guitar, backing vocals), Cathal McKenna (bass/backing vocals), Daniel Lang (cajon, percussion, lead vocals), and Jordan O’Leary (guitar, lead vocals), have just released their fourth album Mind Yourself. The group, which began as the metal band Red Enemy, have now evolved into The Scratch, replacing their heavy metal equipment with acoustic instruments without sacrificing the ferocity of their sound.
The album kicks off with the haunting track Banshee, a perfect opener for this enchanting album as a young boy with a thick culchie accent tells us of the mythological banshee, and how it has been haunting Kelly’s field. The lads then come together almost as if they are chanting an ancient battle cry alongside reverberating beats and dark guitars electric guitars. Lang’s vocals are hypnotising as he sings in his thick Dublin accent and melismatic sean-nós style. My ears immediately perked up when I heard this unique blend of conflicting genres and was very interested to see if The Scratch could maintain this momentum.
Cheeky Bastard ups the tempo with a repetitive chugging of an electric guitar alongside a booming cajon, creating an electric and somewhat tense atmosphere with the combination of traditional Irish music and a contemporary punk sound, a unique concoction. It’s an exciting listen with humorous lyrics and references to Oasis. The track is an absolute banger, one of the many upbeat tracks that would be unreal to experience live.
While the track Hole in The Ground has a haunting opening with distant strained vocals and a slowly plucked warped electric guitar, the cajon becomes the beating heart of this track, pulsating life and vibrancy. The track takes off with lively and vibrant punch, creating a hardcore folklore metal war song as mesmerizing wavering vocals dominate the track towards the end.
Then we have Blaggard, it’s no wonder that this is now in their top five on Spotify because this goes track goes fucking hard. The lads unleash on this record, allowing their metal and heavier side to be showcased and experimented with. I won’t lie, when first listening to this track I nearly jumped out of my skin, the count-in did not prepare me for the sheer burst of thudding drums and warping guitars that would reverberate through me. Halfway through the track, I thought “This would be a great one to mosh to” as the lads began to shout nonsense at one another creating an absolute cluster fuck of noise.
The seven-minute track Trom I (The Harrowing Sun) begins with a thundering bass line and guitar lick that grumbles at a vigorous pace creating a fascinating track. It is almost as if this track is split in half, as after our rhythmic rumbling the track becomes mellow and melodic with a heart-tugging acoustic guitar and orchestral strings. Although I love The Scartch’s fiery and ferocious side, I adore it when they strip it back and embody a raw and unfiltered sound, which I’m happy they do for several tracks.
Shoes is a stunning piece, Lang and his acoustic guitar take centre stage, making a simple yet moving piece of art. Then the track takes off with a symphony of strings and keys, from a warm and mellow piano to a violin that quivers like a tormented heart like Lang’s vocals as he sings “And I watched you all squabble on the land that was sold by a man in the gutter, A father to you, Taken down by the bottle but sure what could he do, Well I know of that struggle cause I live with it too”. This piece honestly struck a chord with me and it’s one that I just keep coming back to each time.
Then we transition to Trom II (A Slip in the Wind), an eerie and somewhat unsettling beginning to the track as a soft light piano supported with a harshly plucked acoustic guitar plays as a dull-sounding Lang sings “Slip in the wind from the heavens above, open the gates for me as white as the doves, Send the troops in ‘cause they’re making it up, And we can’t hold fast forever.” as haunting backing vocals echo and swirl around your head. The track begins to pick up the pace coming to a lively end, a trend I’ve seemed to notice within Mind Yourself, as we are awakened from our enchanted slumber with a thick rigid bassline, fastly strummed guitars and a robust violin.
The album finishes with the track Pocket Full of Roses, a satisfying end to a dynamic album. I was surprised to hear the involvement of fellow Irish artist James Vincent McMorrow in the production of Mind Yourself. His sound is drastically different to what The Scratch has assembled, but traces of his production style can certainly be felt within this final song. It’s an alluring and spellbinding track with whining guitars and layered vocals, whilst their distinctive modern trad sound becomes somewhat repressed, it allows the lads to experiment with a soft metal sound.
I have to say, this album blew me away. I was going through a bit of a drought in terms of music listening and this record scratched the itch. What enticed me to listen to this album was its Electric Nuclear Green album cover depicting one of the many stages of the cross. I know, I know “Don’t judge a book by its cover” but I thought will their music sound as electric as this neon green cover? The Scratch has pioneered an extremely niche combination genre of music. The support that they have received for this album is truly deserved. While The Scratch is mastering its genre-bending abilities, they are expanding and even creating a new avenue for the Irish music scene and captivating audiences both in Ireland and abroad.
Mind Yourself is now currently available on all streaming platforms.
