Otherkin – ‘AY AY’ – Review

For a band that’s been around for less than 2 years, Dublin Grunge pop outfit Otherkin have been causing quite a fuss. In this time they have released two very promising EPs, knocked out a few remarkably high quality videos, and established themselves as one of the foremost must see bands in Dublin. Their sound has developed a lot since the early days, in favour for a more riff driven, yet poppy melodic approach. They recently revealed their newest, and easily best single, ‘AY AY’, along with a swanky video.

‘AY AY’ opens with an infectiously catchy riff that burrows its way into your head after approximately two seconds. A classic drum build up throws the listener into the coda, which to call catchy would be the understatement of the century. Big riffs and crashing drums are the order of the day here. The verse is beautifully poppy in its nature, and is charming and uplifting melodically. The guitars are jangly and the bass is huge, which add a great drive to the tune.

Where the verse will have you humming along to the bouncy melody, the chorus is sure to have you ferociously head banging. It’s a tune made for the mosh pit without question. The riff driven choruses and poppy melodies are a mighty combination when done right, and Otherkin have surely done so. Pioneers of the sound such as The Hives or The Vines are certainly of influence here, but ‘AY AY’ still has a remarkable sense of originality about it. No other band in Dublin are getting near the quality of guitar pop tunes such as this out there at the moment, which make the band all the more interesting.

For a band so new, Otherkin are showing the makings of truly great songwriters that are evolving for the better all the time. AY AY is proof of this. They are quickly becoming an unstoppable force, both live and on record, and any future releases should be eagerly anticipated. Keep an eye out for these guys in the coming months. Seriously.

Watch the video for ‘AY AY’ here:

By Finn O’Reilly