As originally published in the Irish Star on October 10th 2014 //
Little Sparks – Delorentos’ third release – was the undisputed high-point in the band’s career to date. After its release in 2012 the Dublin four-piece rode the crest of a wave, one that brought them the Choice Music Prize, innumerable five-star reviews and an appearance on The Late Late Show.
Deciding how to follow it then, was no easy matter. But where many would buckle under the weight of such expectation, Delorentos have flourished. Their new album Night Becomes Light is one to rival its much-lauded predecessor, with the band sounding brighter and more assured than ever. As I catch up with co-guitarists and vocalists Kieran McGuinness and Ronan Yourell on the eve of its release, they’re quick to cite internal – rather than external – pressures as the driving force behind its creation. “There are four songwriters in the band so there’s competition between us,” Kieran explains. “If Ronan brings an incredible song and another incredible song – I’m not going to be represented on the album. So we push each other and drive each other – that’s the kind of pressure we feel.”
Still, that’s not to say the band are completely immune to pre-release jitters. “It’s weird because it’s so internally focused until now. You’re one of the few people – apart from us – to have actually heard the album…” When I dutifully inform them that it’s excellent there’s a laugh and an audible sigh of relief. “So, those two years weren’t wasted!”
Such comments were not borne of just sycophancy: Night Becomes Light will undoubtedly earn the band a fresh wave of plaudits as well as fans. Lead single Show Me Love is the kind of instant pop-smash that’s made for the airwaves and while there’s plenty more of that ilk, there’s also some assured steps in more mature directions, most notably on the wonderfully poignant Valleys Where The River Run.
Stop The Lights 