Music Editor Alfie Warner reviews The Murder Capital’s third album, ‘Blindness’, dissecting the band’s introspections on difficult topics of the modern political climate through Irishness
Following the Irish streak of cultural success last year with actors like Barry Keoghan, and bands like Fontaines D.C., the country’s less mainstream artists are coming into the limelight; such is the case with post-punk band The Murder Capital and their third album, Blindness.
Blindness pulls no punches, launching straight into the raw opening riff of ‘Moonshot’. Opening tracks are crucial, and ‘Moonshot’ deviates significantly from the slow-paced intro song from The Murder Capital’s previous album, Gigi’s Recovery. It is an arresting beginning to the album, but the album is anything but fierce.
“It is an arresting beginning to the album, but the album is anything but fierce
If anything, the album is reflective and wistful; straight after ‘Moonshot’ is three of the four singles from the album, ‘Words Lost Meaning’, ‘Can’t Pretend To Know’, and ‘A Distant Life’. Vocalist James McGovern described ‘Words Lost Meaning’ as ‘keeping the words “I Love You” in their most potent and real form, and not losing their essence… it’s become one of our favourites to perform live.’
There is a definite shift from ‘Born Into The Fight’; the songs from here to the final song of the album, ‘Trailing A Wing’, are all steeped in Irishness. The most explicit exploration of their heritage is ‘Love Of Country’, a song that discusses exclusionist nationalism being confused with national pride. In an interview with Redbrick’s Liza Glushak, The Murder Capital’s guitarist Cathal Roper commented on events such as the 2024 Dublin Riots, which were fuelled by anti-immigration sentiments, and how these views did not align with Irishness as many in the country saw it. McGovern’s lyrics reflect this condemnation, and are tinged with pity:
‘Young kids reaching out to daydreams / When their homes had lost their shape
Could you blame anyone living / With a wanting for escape?
The grass was never ever greener / The streets were stripped of noise
The passages we occupied / Sang our tunes without a voice’
The album feels more cohesive than their previous work, like the album is a story rather than just a collection of songs. There are no introductory pieces like ‘Exist’ in Gigi’s Story, nor are there couplet songs such as ‘Slowdance I’ and ‘Slowdance II’ in When I Have Fears. This unity might be thanks to the hand of legendary record producer John Congleton, who helped The Murder Capital record Blindness in Los Angeles.
“The album really delves into the human psyche, discussing relevant global topics and using Ireland as the lens
‘Death Of A Giant’ is a personal favourite; the riff underlying the piece is so catchy, and beautifully complements the song’s more bleak lyrics. The ending solo of ‘That Feeling’ feels correct, like it was constructed to be the penultimate song of the album. Both ‘Swallow’ and ‘The Fall’ had a jazz-esque drumming track, and felt very refreshing, with the beginning of ‘Swallow’ being my favourite intro in the entire album.
The Murder Capital have never been ones to shy away from nuance and deeper meaning, but never has this been more true than with Blindness. The album really delves into the human psyche, discussing relevant global topics and using Irishness as the lens. Blindness is a must listen for the spring months, and continues the Irish cultural chokehold from 2024.
8/10
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