Alka Jessie, a fresh, local band hit Kilkenny in early 2010, with a song that seemed to be on everyone's lips for several weeks called Take it Slow.
Now, a year and a half later, this group of 17 and 18-year old lads have countless gigs, an EP, and a debut album under their belts, along with countless gigs in front of their loyal and energetic fans. A recent gig in Cleeres Theatre saw the release of their debut album, Electric Soul.
The album itself is positively vibrating with the pulse of teenage energy. Electric Soul sticks in the minds of its listeners as an in-depth musical journey.
Hearing the album is one thing, to see Gary O'Neill (guitar, vocals and harmonica ), Colin O'Brien (bass and vocals ), Geoff Warner Clayton (guitar and vocals ) and Benedict Warner Clayton (drums ) giving it their all on stage last Friday (with a surprise performance from Kilkenny's own Sam Moylan ) was inspiring.
The set list was well planned and executed to the point where the crowd was entranced for the sixty minutes that the band pumped out tunes. The bands' abilities were skilfully amplified by Kilkenny sound-engineer, Alan Dawson.
At a time when some pitiful X-Factor contestant seems set to dominate the charts, it's as welcome as tea in a blizzard to hear a group of young locals with true taste and ability.
The new album is available for just €5.
