Columbia Mills – Irish Band of the Week

Music today evolves so quickly. The struggle that most up and coming artists feel is real and the push to be current is even more demanding. Maybe it’s a fault in society that we constantly yearn for change. This leads to a plethora of artists releasing some half finished tracks in order to be part of a current trend. Fortunately there are others amongst us who have honed their skills and perfected their art. Their route to the top may take a little longer but the journey can be so rewarding.

Columbia Mills are a duo from Bray who have taken the braver path. Having taken the time to polish their sound, they have come back with the 4 track EP The Perfect Day. Their previous outing Factory Settings was a raw version of themselves, and now they have returned with a more refined sound.

The EP kicks off with the latest single ‘The Advanced Stages of Out of Control’, a throwback to early Indie adopters. The soft solemn vocal has a feel of ‘Madchester’ band Inspiral Carpets in their prime. Next up we have ‘Same Shame’, a track with a more haunting electronica feel than the previous track, but with the same retro feel. We move on to the title track that kicks off with a more upbeat sound which lasts until its final breath. The EP concludes with the most diverse song of the lot in ‘History’, a wonderful mixture, starting with the tender opening verse, which transforms in to Leftfield electronica until its finish.

Overall, very strong outing from the duo which they will be showcasing at Whelan’s on Saturday, 13 June, the day after the release. You will have several opportunities to catch them all across the country including slots at the upcoming Sea Sessions and Indiependence festivals.

Find out more about Columbia Mills on Facebook, Twitter and Bandcamp.

By Pat Byrne