It might seem like a very self-assured move to call your latest album ‘Easy Being A Winner’, but whether Silverbacks are simply displaying their confidence in their new long-player or, as we suspect, being ever so slightly facetious, it is certainly a title that is well-earned.

The Dublin band fronted by brothers Daniel and Kilian O’Kelly have never shied away from their influences, and whilst ‘Easy Being A Winner’ evokes the spirit of many of the bands that would have graced the likes of CBGB’s in the late ’70s and early ’80s New York, there is a freshness and a variety to the band’s output throughout their latest release.

Silverbacks have certainly experienced a lot of change in recent years, with band members now spread out across places as diverse as Paris and Drogheda. Despite this, they seem more comfortable than ever, and the relaxed nature of their recording sessions with Dan Fox from Gilla Band at Sonic Studios really comes through on this, their third studio album. Make sure to check out their Easy Making A Rockumentary for some behind-the-scenes insights.

From the very first track, Selling Shovels, it is a compelling affair, Peadar Kearney’s guitar intertwining magnificently with Gary Wickham’s rolling drum patterns. The album also sees a newly expanded line-up with Paul Leamy adding his energy to the mix on bass, freeing up Emma Hanlon to focus on her deliciously beguiling vocals, displayed to perfect effect on the bouncy energetic single Giving Away An Inch Of.

Something I Know, and the looping swirling dervish that is No Rivers Round Here are real standouts on the album. The former culminates in a breathtaking finale which combines hypnotic layering of Hanlon’s vocals with an intoxicating atmospheric clarinet, which is performed to perfection by Daniel and Kilian O’Kelly’s dad, John.

Songs About Divide is a poignant and bittersweet tune that touches on themes of loneliness and the feeling of not quite belonging, before the album’s title track brings things to a fittingly upbeat guitar-laden conclusion.

Silverbacks have always been a band that have been (to these ears at least) really hard not to like, and with their new opus their infectious brand of retro-indie pop rock is in full effect, and it is delightful from start to finish.