In an age of kneejerk sensation and flash-in-the-pan worship, Dublin three-piece Stoat are perfect testament to the power of playing the long-game. Having been making music together for the best part of 20 years, the threesome’s wonderfully wry, masterfully incisive brand of genre-warping indie-pop will come to the fore once more via their highly-anticipated second album, ‘Try Not To Think About It’, on February 10.
From to-do lists that never seem to get any smaller to psychic cul-de-sacs, the loneliness of talk radio, the pay-off of accepting one’s lot in the world and much more, at the heart of Stoat’s craft is their uncanny knack of distilling the everyday to something worth celebrating. Weaving triumphant tales from humdrum moments, their razor-sharp songs burst forth and brim with pathos, surrealism and the keenest sense of humour. But it’s not merely words that ensure ‘Try Not To Think About It’ will soon emerge as a singular, distinctly Irish artistic statement. From lead single
‘Trampolina’ and weirdo-pop hoedown ‘Hard Sums’ to the wonderfully idiosyncratic ‘Other Men’, Stoat’s songs are fully-fledged trips. Pop-centric, yes, but never at the expense at pushing boundaries, blurring genres and putting spirit – hard-won and single-minded – centre-stage.
Supported by Shrug Life, Stoat launch ‘Try Not To Think About It’ at the Underground on Dame Street in Dublin on February 10.
