The Sunday Times ‘Ones to Watch 2013’ !
'Broken Conversations' debut album from Irish Folk outfit Hard Ground is released on 19 April 2013 and is available to pre-order from Fish Records now. - highly Recommended
That place in between a well worn bar stool, your damaged relationship that is teetering on the brink of final extinction, the narcissistic contemplation of better times and things that could have been . . . it’s called The Hard Ground
Irish Nu-folk darlings The Hard Ground are purveyors of sumptuous songs full of beautiful orchestration and brooding sentiment, perfectly illuminated by the male/female twin vocal dynamic.
Their debut UK single ‘Pawn’ captures the essence of the band’s album ‘Broken Conversations’ and tells the tale of a character’s struggle to come to terms with the fact that the world isn’t what she has always known it to be and those in power are often but a ‘puppet in the masterplan’. The band bring this tale to life with a track that oozes sensuality and charm.
The album ‘Broken Conversations’ from The Hard Ground exudes a mix of images that makes you want to share the experiences because you know it was a trip not to be missed. Their songs offer folk that rocks with gutsy blues dynamism, coated with haunting strings, featuring layered vocals and captivating arrangements.
The alternate vocal alliance and duel between Marlene Enright and Pat Carey carries the power and thrust of their songs, which move effortlessly from exuberance to bleakness, expectation to darkness. These twin lead vocals give their personal narratives a theatrical edge that channels the songs into attention-grabbing illustrations and exchanges with a drive through punchy percussion and bass overlaid with brass accents and guitar breaks.
The mellow hook of ‘Pawn’ offers a rather relaxed introduction to their sound but it builds to a sense of what’s in store. Beyond that there’s the hypnotic groove of ‘Dance of a Lady’ full of seductive warnings and the gruff honesty of ‘Bad Faith’ – you get the distinct feeling you’re overhearing a couple fighting with communication breakdown in a failing relationship. Hard stuff indeed. As is the emptiness of despair wrapped in the lyrics of ‘Drinking To Heaven’ – those voices perfectly tell the story and the interplay between brass, guitar and strings is priceless. Then if you want sheer haunting presence there’s ‘Back Road’ – superbly moody, filled with emotion and awash with evocative echoes.
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