Photo credit: Emilyn Cardona
Pioneering a sound that blends the Irish post-punk edge and washed-out, atmospheric guitars, the Cork band Ways of Seeing arrive on the scene. Bold, emotional, equal parts dreamlike and devastating, they’ve drawn comparisons to Interpol and Slowdive, receiving national radio support and press acclaim. Their sophomore album, The Inheritance of Fear, lands this September, promising a compelling next chapter.
This era continues with the release of the compelling new single ‘USA 94’, a nostalgic ballad to football, masculinity, and the emotional silences of 90s Ireland. Contextually, it sets against the backdrop of the 1994 World Cup, blending chiming guitars, washed-out synths and a melancholic voice from frontman James O’Donnell.
Lush arrangements are capturing dreams and battles, soaring up into the sky and reaching an intensifying climax. A piece of sonic cinema, the euphoric ache is a faded highlight reel.
The band explain, “On one level, it’s a song about 90’s Ireland, football and the hysteria surrounding World Cups on the cusp of the Celtic Tiger. Although I only have vague recollections of this time, the USA 94 World Cup was when I fell in love with football and relatives have often filled me in on their fond memories from that period. In reality, it is about men’s mental health. The character in the story is lost in the throes of addiction and mental health difficulties. It looks at how emotional regression can leave a lasting trauma while vulnerability, conversely, has the power to save us. It’s a song of nostalgia, myth and the things that people bury to survive.”
Listen below…
