“The first time I heard Manhattan it blew my fucking face off!” reads the quote attributed to Mother Teresa on Dublin band Manhattan’s web profile. Of course we are all well aware of Abraham Lincoln’s cautioning on the veracity of quotes from the internet, but should this one be verified in due course then I would be inclined to agree with her. Lead number 1944 on this four track EP comes on like a stormtrooper with a dirty techno style riff and distorted vocals. It’s a simple build up – bass, drums and that modified guitar sound – as Robbie McCarthy sings “Devil makes a deal/ Don’t care how we feel/ Helpless souls to steal/ The end is always real”. When he comes in each time with that title line the song stakes its claim as a no-nonsense rocker.
More abrasive guitars wash over Circles, another chest-beating strut. The rhythm section walk it along nicely with the singer getting worked up by it all, shouting “WOOOOOOOO!” when the excitement takes him and yep, it’s infectious. Things are taken down a notch with the threadbare Hypnotise. The sparse verses lead into a Muse style vocal take on the choruses, with the pace again relaxing tenfold for Old City. Rainfall patters as acoustic guitar takes over and a chiming effect adorns it in this mid-tempo ballad.
It’s a bit of a game of two halves this one, the first half leading the attack and knocking in a couple of screamers, the second playing it safe and waving to its girlfriend in the stands. Despite the somewhat anaemic nature of the latter songs, there are enough flashes of inspiration in there to make Manhattan a band to keep an eye out for, saintly endorsement or otherwise.