DRYING WEATHER – A Family Meal – LP – Blue Vinyl

LP – Limited Edition 140g first pressing of their debut album on glorious blue vinyl.

Helmed by the bands longtime producer Eoin Whitfield, best known as one quarter of beloved instrumental band Enemies, A Family Meal represents a critical new step in the bands evolution; a cohesive 38-minute journey through multiple styles and genres, drenched in overdriven acoustic guitar, fuzz bass and rich pop harmonies.

The record is, as ever, steeped in vocalist/bassist/acoustic guitarist Barry McNamara, vocalist/bassist/acoustic guitarist Dnal Kennedy, lead guitarist Frank Chambers and drummer Conor Timmons love for the timeless sound of the 1990s alt rock and Midwest emo.

A Family Meal takes cues from sweeping, emotional groups like Manic Street Preachers or Neutral Milk Hotel, the joyful clatter of Sugar or Weezer, and the sharp edges of Pixies or Failure. Bursting out of the traps with heart-on-sleeve opener Boomer, highlights include post-punk belter Museum, the dreamy and math-adjacent Gimme Mud, contemplative duet Granite and cinematic closer Always Say Always Say Always.

On the release, the band said…

Its hard to believe that people will finally get to hear what weve been working on the past three years. This is the kind of album we love: one which goes to a ton of different places, with lyrics that are open to interpretation, one with big hooks and big swings that isnt afraid to make a racket.

Weve been working with Eoin Whitfield since 2020 and by now he understands completely what it is were going for, and you can hear that on A Family Meal. No matter what we threw at him, be it violin, cello, synth, soundscapes or split-second transitions, he knew exactly how to slot everything into the mix.

“A lot of these songs will be familiar to people who have come out to see us before, and in a way, this feels like our Greatest Hits album even though its our first. We really hope the studio versions live up to expectations, and we cant wait to visit parts of Ireland weve never played before on tour with CORP.

Formed in 2019 and releasing their debut single Papaya Whip in May 2021, Drying Weather have developed a reputation in both the live and studio arenas, releasing seven further singles and gigging extensively in Dublin, the rest of Ireland and abroad in Berlin and London.

Tracklist:

1. Boomer [03:20]
2. Museum [03:31]
3. Bloomin’ [04:09]
4. Letter Space Number [03:25]
5. Hyperfolly [04:22]
6. Gimme Mud [04:01]
7. Granite [03:53]
8. Karaoke [04:02]
9. Myriad Reflector [02:47]
10. Always Say Always Say Always [04:06]

Produced, mixed and mastered by Eoin Whitfield
Recorded at The Hive Studios, Kilcoole

Drying Weather is Frank Chambers, Dnal Kennedy, Barry McNamara and Conor Timmons.