There are very few bands around that sound like Tallaght’s five-piece Chewing on Tinfoil and that’s a good thing because it’s hard to imagine another band pulling off their sound with more finesse. On first listen, there’s no mistaking that these guys are Irish. In a country full of fake American accents, Dublin vocals can seem hard to perform without sounding cringey. However, Chewing on Tinfoil’s strong vocal delivery sounds natural and effortlessly refreshing. Known for their catchy ska/punk melodies, Chewy are a band built on rhythm, although their latest record ‘Marrowbone Lane’ takes a different route to their past discography.

The band’s ska roots are still evident but that doesn’t mean there are less surprises this time around. While less sporadic and jittery in sound, ‘Marrowbone Lane’ uses its ska undertones as a building branch for the band’s colourful new direction. One Good Shirt happens to be a standout for this new path. It’s a song filled with catchy Weezer-like sing-alongs and intense bursts of energy that feel like a shot hitting the back of your throat only without the bad aftertaste. This record is charged with these moments, whether it’s the brief but concise solo in The Cutting Room Floor, or the aggressive guest verse from Stza Crack in Just like Me, each track on here adds a unique flavour to the album.

‘Marrowbone Lane’ often deals with serious and personal issues, but at the same time never takes itself too seriously. Songs like Holy Communion demonstrate some of Chewing on Tinfoil’s more brutally honest lyrics like “don’t let them call my name to an empty room/If you’ll do that for me I’ll do it for you,” while Just Like Me has playfully cheeky ones such as “I’ve a pain in me hoop with you round these days/I’m so sick and tired of playing these games.” This example of diversity in voice and sound is a staple of what makes ‘Marrowbone Lane’ great. There’s no one side to it. It isn’t afraid to have fun in the thick of it, and neither should you. If there’s an Irish release you’ve yet to listen to this year, you owe yourself this one.