'We are presented with an intimate, acoustic set. Chris McConaghy has a quiet and unassuming...his understated voice highlighting the melancholic nature of his songs.'
"Our Krypton Son have created a masterpiece. His new single 'Plutonium' depicts a delicate, almost otherwordly song that echoes dreams of a longed-for love - "Now that I met you from your kiss, the world I know is nothing but a lie."
"There isn't a central concept lyrically on the album - memory, time, love, death, work, jealousy - the usual shit really." - Chris
"A more introspective and bare form than previous single 'Catalonian Love Song', here he calls to mind the best of Blur’s sparse 'Out Of Time Eels' more poignant moments. Like those acts OKS cannot but help his pop instincts and this is a a well-crafted, fully realised song."
'It's piano and vocal style calling to mind Suede's "By the Sea", with a vocal style that seems to sit somewhere in the murky water between E from Eels and Damon Albarn.'
'The machine beats and robo-bass juxtaposing nicely with a real human quality to the sparkly synth work.'
'I can say with complete honesty that I have been glued to the screen for most of the day. A second instalment of Weather Underground would be warmly accepted.'
Any Dutch speakers who can translate? Much appreciated.
Folk And Tumble review Chris McConaghy supporting The Leisure Society in Belfast.
Any Dutch fans who can translate please?
Sure, this album is emphatically unsexy, rough ‘n’ ready and clumsy. But LaFaro see this as anything but a weakness. No - they’re justifiably proud as punch. A frontal masterpiece in shit brown. Fuck me, this bucking bronco of an album is fun! - 9/10
'The Arches audience warm to MTC easily, the girlish screams and squeals sound like they should belong at a One Direction concert and not a post-hardcore gig.' - 4/5
"Throw a glass at Oisin if he makes a mistake." - Jonny
Taken from February's issue of Oor Magazine. Still in need of translation.
'Any anxieties about Black being seated were ill-founded; tonight the songs speak for themselves, with the frenzied crowd more than making up for Black’s lack of movement.'
'Close the eyes and you can you could be stage left at some Foos stadium gig.'
'Chris’s crooning here sounding a lot like the dulcet tones of the one and only Ian ‘Bunnymen’ McCulloch – high praise indeed.'
'A rich, lush ballad with a groove.'
"Compared to you we look like the monsters out of 'Lord of the Rings'." - Jonny
'With fat riffs and their manic vocals this band is about to institutionalise itself into the hardcore genre.' - 6/10
'It’s starting off with a surprise attack: Full Tilt is losing it without warning and hitting the right spots. Nose first, temples second. You’re stumbling. Langer is mocking the German citizenship and during Sucking Diesel the brawl becomes a party'.- Album Of The Year - 10/12
''Catalonian Love Song' is a smooth piano ballad sung by McConaghy with a voice like chocolate.'
'LaFaro speelt stevige rocksongs die net wat harder aangezet zijn dan bij (het bekendere werk van) Therapy?' - Dutch speakers required!
'Lafaro close the opening night of Eurosonic and these Irish do it with verve.'
'His vocals have something of an old school charm, there’s a smoky feel to them and the fact he actually sounds somewhat forlorn is definitely appreciated.' - 7/10
'McConaghy’s whiskey drenched vocals are spot on and pin everything in place.'
'Smokey, soulful and skillfully crafted, Catalonian Love Song fantasizes a landscape of momentarily glimpsed secret lovers gliding through the side streets of Barcelona's Gothic Quarter.'
'The first thing that comes to mind when listening to the second album of the Irish LaFaro is: "These guys don't mind a bit of Therapy? and Helmet."'
LaFaro's 'Easy Meat' is number 6 in Dawn Of The Deaf's 'Top 10 Albums Of 2011'
'The whole thing is catchy as hell and you’ll find yourself humming it loudly all day.'
'The sweep and sway of ‘Catalonian Love Song’ is redolent of Richard Hawley, or the Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner at his most contemplative. Very promising indeed.'
'Fills you with enough teenage spunk that you do just kind of feel like lamping someone.'
'In LaFaro’s world, and on the evidence of this track, the answer to the question “What’s Mr. Chips doing?” is “Sniffing glue, drinking heavily, and rocking out”.
'As filthy as a used nappy floating up a river towards a group of canoeists.' - 7/10
'QOTSA. FOTL. T?* If you understand these acronyms, chances are you will take to LaFaro like a duck to water. If you don’t understand these acronyms, then chances are the band would make an excellent gateway band for you.'
'At their catchiest, they recall bands like Queens of the Stone Age and at their angriest they are reminiscent of Helmet or even Shellac.'
'The Irish equivalent to a jackboot to the scrotum' - 9/10
Rory McConnell of BBC Introducing In Northern Ireland review's LaFaro's 'Easy Meat'
'A delicious slab of buzzsaw guitars, snarling vocals and biting, bulldozing rhythms, the kind of album that you just have to crank and rock the fuck out to.' - 9/10
'A whirlwind of guitar distortion and filthy, pounding rhythms where everything has been turned up to eleven, making it the most blisteringly painful experience since The Wildhearts' 'Endless Nameless'. - 4.5/5
'Combining punk, rock and grunge, 'Meat Wagon', the new single from LaFaro is a heavy hitting number.'
'Like a rhinoceros with PMT' – 9/10
'They could've easily made LaFaro II, but instead they have moved the goalposts with Easy Meat, and the result? Eighteen tracks, almost choir-like vocal parts and an acoustic number. Say what?!'
'An appealing mixture of swagger and smirks, with not a second spent worrying about the consequences.' - 4/5
"A giant pig man attacking the audience?! We're not quite sure how to follow that!" - Cahir
'Reuben playing Mclusky songs'
'It's a gripping, infectious, frenetic, pummelling, riff-tastic masterpiece in rock that makes you remember how good real, honest, hard rock music can be. God Bless LaFaro. Album of the year, bar none.'
'Summoning the spirit of Seattle circa 1990, this debut album from Northern Irish quartet LaFaro is a thing of rampant power and joy.'
'A ferocious, frenetic spirit few bands could rival, and the lyrics are ace throughout.' - 8/10
