Ceol Review: The Young Folk – First Sign of Morning

The Young Folk release First Sign of Morning to a packed out Button Factory in Dublin

First Sign of Morning is the second album from Dublin’s The Young Folk; a further step forward in what is becoming an illustrious career for the band.

Folk by name and by nature, their sound stands out as fresh with a familiar feel; a delightful blend of their folk origin with an indie-pop edge. They are carving a very distinctive niche for themselves.

It offers a variety of big stadium anthems and alleviating melodies without ever straying from the initial message. We are gifted with little insights into love and loss, delivered in beautiful arrangements.

First Sign of Morning is full of feel good tunes, with many possible singles. The theme of home, love and the importance of close relationships is apparent. It’s a collection of deeply personal songs providing insights into the core values of the songwriters’ lives.

The Young Folk Live in The Button Factory

The Young Folk graced The Button Factory on Saturday night for the Dublin leg of their tour. The home gig is always the most apprehensive for a band who have travelled, grown and experienced so much and are now returning to their roots to unveil how far they’ve come.

That certainly is the case for The Young Folk who are make waves across the continent, selling out arenas and quickly gaining notoriety.

They are supported by the ever talented Neev Kennedy, who wows the crowd with her perfect pop lyrics and stunning sultry tones. Harmonising with her partner in crime and in music, David, the duo captivate quite effortlessly and get the show off to a very promising start.

As the main act come on stage the room fills with excitement, their seemingly hard core fans only delighted to greet them home.

The entire gig is completely electric, the guys never falter and showcase exactly what it is that has the Europeans falling in love with them. As it was my first time to catch them, I was unsure as what to expect but certainly not disappointed.

Each member is a very talented musician in his own right, and combined it offers for an electric explosion of flair and creativity; quite something to see in a small(ish) venue such as this one.

They were joined on a number of occasions by Neev who fitted into the talented mix quite capably; the added element really bringing the occasion to life.

Coming close to the end, the lead singer briefly mentions a surprise. Not long after, they announce they were going to cover Delorentos “Everybody Else Gets Wet” and wouldn’t you know, Ronan and Ciaran from Delos walk on stage. The whole place erupts into dance and singing as they launch into two Delorentos songs; each and every one on stage enjoying it as equally as the crowd.

What made this moment that bit extra special is seeing these two rising Irish bands supporting each other as it should be. TYF’s Anthony jokes that they wanted U2 but couldn’t afford them.

What struck me about this comment is that these two bands in collaboration on stage very much are leading the new generation of Irish music. U2 were once a rising young band; and it’s likely The Young Folk and Delorentos will reach those heights. Taking The Script as another example of Dublin boys who have done pretty well for themselves, it’s all a gradual process and one which TYF are well on their way to achieving.

Oh, and about the after party…well that’s a story for another day.

The Young Folk First Sign of Morning is available to buy now.

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