As 2010′s new acts look to be mainly similar to last year’s – attractive girls with attitude, big hair and a fondness for 80s music – then anyone who is staking out a new furrow should be applauded. Welcome, then, the arrival of The Irrepressibles, a ten-piece mini-orchestra, led by the charismatic and flamboyant Jamie McDermott. Staking out a place in modern music somewhere between Antony and the Johnsons, the Arcade Fire and a sort of male Joanna Newsom, with a smattering of early David Bowie, The Irrepressibles promise to be one of the year’s most striking discoveries.
At the South Bank’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, the collective took Valentine’s Day as a suitable date to launch their first album Mirror, Mirror with a live performance. As you might expect, the theatrical elements of the evening came strongly to the forefront, with the back of the stage being decorated with full-length mirrors, all of which were illuminated by cabaret-style lightbulbs. This glitzily impressive backdrop proved a suitably lavish accompaniment for the band to perform their beautiful, offbeat and strange (in the best sense) music.
While I’m not convinced that this album will establish the band as a mainstream chart-topper – nor was it designed to – there’s a wit and playfulness to many of the songs, such as ‘Anvil’ and ‘My Friend Jo’ that will chime with anyone who likes theatrical and stylised pop music. However it’s the album and set closer ‘In This Shirt’ that hints at greater things still. Over the backing of a mournful organ and an increasingly complex string arrangement, McDermott’s eerily compelling voice soars as he recounts the story of what might be a lost love affair, or simply a paean to his tailor. Either way, it’s one of the most beautiful and stirring pieces of music I’ve heard in the past year. If this is their future, there’s no stopping them.
The album Mirror Mirror is now available. Further details of the band are at www.theirrepressibles.com
