Republic of Loose - Bounce the Devil

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A wild ride

"Some men," as the warden lamented in 'Cool Hand Luke', "you just can't reach." Six years on from their debut, Republic of Loose are still attempting the musical equivalent of fitting 18 people in a Nissan Micra - at this stage not heeding the advice of others can be seen as a part of their ornery charm.

So, like all its predecessors, 'Bounce the Devil' has too many songs, but wedged in somewhere between the bonnet and the boot is the most precious cargo they've ever carried on their most thrilling ride yet.

A lifetime of wasted nights may never have a better anthem than opener 'The Lamp', a brilliant piece of moody electro funk that tells the rest of the album to come and have a go if it thinks it's hard enough. Coats are held, shapes are thrown and matches - the euphoric 'Is This Not What You Wanted?', the gorgeous soul of 'How Is Your Brain?, the swing of 'Deludable' - are met.

There are times when there's more talk than action, but some of this wild bunch are unlike anything else you'll experience from an Irish band in 2010. Or '11, '12, '13', '14'...

Harry Guerin

Tracklisting: The Lamp - I Love the Police - How Is Your Brain? - Is This Not What You Wanted? - Ded Prostitutes - My Heroez - The Blah Bounce - Satan Bounce - She's So Evil - Mesmerized - Golf with Satan - 99 (ft Bo Starks) - The Man - Deludable - What Kinda Man Would I Be?