The Lynch brothers first formed the duo Lynched. Their first album, released in 2003, was well received and led to international tours. Their greatest source of inspiration was to be found close to home, in the music of the Dublin pubs. There they met singer and multi-instrumentalist Radie Peat and fiddler Cormac MacDiarmada. As their audience and recognition grew, they decided, to avoid any controversy, to take the name Lankum from a song in the Irish repertoire. After a handful of studio albums, they released their first live album.
Did you say folk? Yes, but Irish folk! That’s not wrong, but it’s too quick a summary of their music because it leaves out the characteristics that have made them a success. On certain passages, the use of sound textures like drone music can evoke Northern Folk bands like Wardruna or Heilung and paradoxically give a more modern side to their compositions or adaptations of famous titles in the folklore of their country. It’s also darker than the image you might have of the atmosphere in Dublin’s bars.
Dublin audiences were both enthusiastic and respectful of their music, which had a strong cultural identity. Never betraying their sources of inspiration, the musicians use the full range of Irish folk instruments: guitars, fiddle, bagpipes, keyboards and percussion. Some of them seem to be tuned a tone lower. These instruments are sometimes augmented by layers of sound that heighten the tension of the tracks. The predominantly male vocals remain central. Without being archetypal, the sound of this record is clearly that of a live recording, with a soundstage that encourages a kind of fade-out between musicians who remain clearly identifiable.
