Another 20 great second Irish albums to (re)discover

With Maria Somerville's and M(h)aol’s second albums arriving this month and next, 2fm’s Dan Hegarty looks at sophomore albums by other Irish acts from the recent (and not-so recent) past.

Soda Blonde - Dream Big (2023)

Soda Blonde didn’t hang about after releasing their debut album in 2021. To come up with a follow-up of this quality in a relatively short period of time further underlined the band’s pedigree.

Featuring one of the best pop tunes released by an Irish act (Bad Machine), this album glides between upbeat tracks like Space Baby and slower numbers like An Ancient. It was nominated for Irish Album of the Year 2023 at the RTÉ Choice Music Prize, and you can hear why it was one of the favourites to win.

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Scheer - And Finally (1999)

There has always been loads of great bands in the north, but the mid 1990s had a particularly strong crop like Cuckoo, Schtum, Thearpy? Ash, Rare, and Scheer. The band’s debut album Infliction will celebrate 30 years in existence next year - it was what many thought would be the first of many, but it turned out to be the only one that they would release as an active band. …And Finally arrived just over a year after they’d broken up; listening to tracks like Face The Sun and Slowly brings mixed feelings; you can’t help but wonder where the band’s career might have travelled to if they’d stayed together. Audrey Gallagher’s vocals bring out the pop sensibility of the track First Contact, which would have no doubt been a live favourite. This album is hard to track down, but if you don’t know the band, their debut is available to stream.

CMAT - Crazymad, For Me (2023)

After a whirlwind previous year with her debut album which won Irish Album of the Year at the RTÉ Choice Music Prize, CMAT kicked it up another few musical gears on the follow-up. Crazymad, For Me was the album that helped her become a big international name.

The duet Where Are Your Kids Tonight? with John Grant is one of the highlights. However, it’s album tracks like Torn Apart and Phone Me that really solidify the foundations of this album; it’s one that in years to come that will be synonymous with the year 2023.

The Devlins - Waiting (1997)

1993 was what you could call The Devlins’ breakout year thanks in part to the release of their debut album Drift. Numerous US tours would follow, along with their track Crossing The River being featured on the Batman Forever soundtrack.

The Devlins released their second album Waiting in 1997. The songs on this album have aged so gracefully; particularly Where Are You Tonight? and Big Decision. The track Kill With Me Tonight is to this day one of their finest creations.

Fangclub - Vulture Culture (2019)

Fangclub do those big guitar riffs as well as any of those well-known names that you can think of. Kicking on from their self-titled debut, Vulture Culture finds the band in blistering form, offering up tracks like Everyday, Kingdum and Black Rainbow.

In the spirit of bands that came before them like Kerbdog, Nirvana and Veruca Salt, the trio manage to harness their live energy on this album. They followed it in 2024 with the All Good EP; we eagerly await a third album.

The Mary Janes - Sham (1998)

The Mary Janes didn’t have a drummer on their debut album Bored Of Their Laughing, but you’d hardly notice, such was the rhythmic intensity of the songs. By the time they recorded the follow-up, Mark Stanley had joined the band behind the drumkit.

Sham features the enduring song Friends, which sounds as engaging today as it did the best part of 30 years ago. This would prove to be their final album, which is a shame as you can’t help but wonder how their sound would have continued to develop.

Sorcha Richardson - Smiling Like An Idiot (2022)

Sorcha Richardson’s debut album First Prize Bravery was a long time coming for fans who had the good fortune to discover her music early on. After touring that album, she brought us her second album Smiling Like An Idiot, which arrived in September of 2022.

Much like artists like Courtney Barnett and Aimee Mann, Richardson makes the whole process of creating songs sound effortless. If there was ever any doubt that she’s one of Ireland’s finest songwriters, this album settled that debate.

Rollerskate Skinny - Horsedrawn Wishes (1996)

In a parallel universe this album is spoken about in the same conversation as Deserter Songs by Mercury Rev and My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless. It’s a truly brilliant album from start to finish.

Horsedrawn Wishes sounded like nothing else at the time of its release, and to this day it still holds a uniquely left-field identity. It’s great to see that’s it available to stream, but how about a vinyl release? It’s an under-exposed classic that deserves at least that.

Le Galaxie - Le Club (2015)

Alongside acts like King Kong Company, Le Galaxie were Irish festival royalty. Anytime they were on the bill, you could guarantee a stellar performance. In the midst of a busy time for the band came their second album, Le Club.

From fields to dancefloor, tracks like Love System, Humanise and the title track always went down well. As an album, it’s a solid unit, charting an exciting chapter in the band’s career.

First Class & Coach - Neon Hip (2023)

There’s a theory that anyone can write a good song. Writing a good (or even great) album is a different thing altogether. Cork’s First Class & Coach unleashed Neon Hip in April of 2023, proving that their excellent debut was no fluke.

Their own description of Neon Hip is "NYC meets Berlin meets West Cork." At times Geraldine Thomas’ vocals are reminiscent of Patti Smith or PJ Harvey. It’s an album that has the swagger and attitude that’s essential to really connect with listeners.

Revelino - Broadcaster (1996)

Here’s a band that had almost been washed over by time; that was until the re-released their self-titled debut album back in 2020. Originally appearing in 1994, it was followed two years later by the equally engaging Broadcaster album.

In retrospect, Revelino had better songs than a lot of the Britpop crop of the day. Broadcaster features two tremendous singles - Step On High and Radio Speaks - and a wealth of other material. It’s not officially available to stream at the moment, but hopefully that will change soon.

HamsandwicH - White Fox (2010)

2010’s White Fox is an album that features many of the band’s live favourites (Ants, Models and The Naturist). It’s hard to think of it as an album that’s 15 years old this year.

Listening back to it now, you can’t help but be swept along by the energy of songs like Oh Oh and The Fog. Over the years, HamsandwicH have established themselves as a true treasure in Irish music.

Niamh Regan - Come As You Are (2024)

After the success of her debut album Hemet, there had been building anticipation for a follow-up from Niamh Regan. This came just under four years later in the form of Come As You Are.

Like her debut, this was shortlisted for Irish Album of the Year at the RTÉ Choice Music Prize. There are many standout moments on this album; from Blame to Paint A Picture, to the extraordinary Nice, which is one of those ear worms that you’d welcome to stay in your head.

The Golden Horde - The Golden Horde (1991)

The Golden Horde are one of the great lost Irish bands. How are they lost you might ask? None of their material is available to stream, and physical copies are hard to find.

This, their second and final album is a great rock record, which features songs that deserve to be heard by generations that probably don’t know them. The dearly missed Larry Gogan appears in the video to Friends In Time, and 100 Boys still sounds as wonderfully irreverent as it did in 1991.

Inhaler - Cuts & Bruises (2023)

Inhaler’s debut album It Won’t Always Be Like This really kicked the international door open for them. Cuts & Bruises arrived two years later, and stuck a wedge in that door to keep it wide open.

You can hear what the band learned on the road on Cuts & Bruises. It has those tracks that bounce (So Far So Good and Dublin In Ecstasy), and softer moments like Perfect Storm and If You’re Gonna Break My Heart. The potency of these tracks live served the band well on the subsequent tour.

JJ72 - I To Sky (2002)

JJ72 are one of those bands that gained commercial success and attain cult following during their active days. That cult status has continued to grow in the years since. It’s largely from the success of their 2000 debut album.

Their 2002 follow-up I To Sky shouldn’t be overlooked. It has those would-be anthems like Formulae and Always And Forever, alongside the gorgeous Oiche Mhaith which remains one of their finest songs.

The Murder Capital - Gigi's Recovery (2023)

The idea with a second album is that it should be a step (or in this case a jump) forward from the debut. Gigi’s Recovery showed just how much The Murder Capital had grown as a band in the three and a half years since their debut When I Have Fears.

Working with producer John Congleton, they built something quite different to what had come before. From the beauty of A Thousand Lives to the power of Return My Head, this is an album of supreme quality.

Telefis - a Dó (2022)

The brilliant collaboration between Cathal Coughlan and Jacknife Lee was reprised for this album. In truth they didn’t stop recording after the debut (a hAon) released earlier in the same year.

This album is like a past/present/future listening experience. How can that be you may ask? There’s a familiarity about Space Is Us, yet Airstrip and We See Showbands both have an unusual identity that’s difficult to place. It’s a joy of an album to listen to from a duo that albeit how brief was their existence; they’ve left a legacy.

Power Of Dreams - 2 Hell With Common Sense (1992)

How could you not love an album that opens with three tracks as good as Raindown, There I Go Again and On And On? The Dublin band had been on the road relentlessly since releasing their debut album in 1990, but managed to write and record this album between tours.

In a time where ground-breaking albums were arriving (in what seemed like each week) from names such as The Prodigy, Rage Against The Machine and PJ Harvey; Power Of Dreams reinvented themselves to bring us an album that was substantially different to their celebrated debut.

Meryl Streek - Songs For The Deceased (2024)

Meryl Streek’s debut album 796 was one of 2022’s most distinctive and best albums. His 2024 follow-up Songs For The Deceased is every bit a politically charged.

There are moments of true beauty on this album; none more so than the track Paddy which is a tribute to his late uncle. Listening to this album and the debut, you get the feeling that their significance on a cultural level will only continue to grow with the passing of time.

The Walls - New Dawn Breaking (2005)

It’s hard to think of New Dawn Breaking as an album released two decades ago, yet the date doesn’t lie. Opening with Open Road, it’s an album that infused with energy and an uplifting sound.

The singles To The Bright And Shining Sun is one of the great Irish songs of the 21st century. Other tracks like Passing Through and Know Your Love are highly recommended too; the latter would work well if adopted by The Stunning (the Wall brothers' other musical vehicle).

Aoife Nessa Frances - Protector (2022)

After bringing us one of 2020’s best debuts, Aoife Nessa Francis wasted no time in creating her second album. It’s an album that has richness in sound both vocally and musically.

There’s sometimes the temptation to categorise music often only for reference points. If you’re prone to this, you may struggle to place a label on this album. Songs such as Chariot and Day Out Of Time may not be obvious favourites on the first or second listen, but they continue to blossom each time you hear them.

Dan Hegarty hosts The Alternative on RTÉ 2FM, Mon-Thu @ 11pm - listen back here.

Another 20 great second Irish albums to (re)discover

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