The Clap will always be a special band for all of us  here at Goldenplec (insert your own gonorrhoea joke here). The five-piece band from Dublin kicked things off on this year’s Coast to Coast Tea and Toast with an acoustic rendition of their song Whiskey Rose in Portmarnock. (Watch it here)

Their debut EP, ‘Me Gusta El Clap!’ was released on June 16th 2012 for free download. Opening track One Flew Out of the Cuckoo’s Nestvwouldn’t sound out of place coming out of a jukebox in a 60s diner. The repetitive guitar riff and drum beat throughout give the song a familiar feeling after only a few listens.

Next up is Rev. Gun, a much more relaxed affair, with plinking piano in the background and more mellow music giving lead vocalist Simon Moore a chance to showcase his talents. Yet again it’s the repetitive nature of the song that reels you in. This time it’s the earworm chorus of “He’s a preacher man, he’s got a shotgun in his hand” that is sung over and over until you find yourself subconsciously singing along after only one listen.

The last track on the EP is the aforementioned Whiskey Rose. The frankly brilliant lyric: “Every time my baby drinks she hugs with her fist” sets the tone for a slow, bitter song that is a suitable ending to an impressive debut EP. If what is on show here is anything to go by there could well be a lot more to come from The Clap in the near future.

Now, where did we put that cream…

To download The Claps debut EP for free, or to find out more about the band, you can visit their website: www.theclapband.com