Chunky Planet

Chunky Planet occupy the hinterland between Badly Drawn Boy, The Eels and Tom Waits, delivering a sub-species of alt.indiefolk that deals with real issues. Their three-track CD shows how, with a bit of thought, traditional instruments such as tin whistle and bodhrán can be used effectively and refreshingly to craft contemporary approaches to music making. Pensioners Watch TV is a delicious sample of the possibilities. History Stops has an added Irish punk-feel with Carroll’s tin whistle, it quickly picks up the pace as her voice leads us into places most bands don’t aspire to reach”. - Jackie Hayden - HOTPress

Their blend of melancholia and life-affirming melodies brings to mind the better works of Red House Painters or even a more subtle American Music Club. Multi-talented, they sing and play a variety of instruments, including acoustic guitar, Bodhrán, tin whistle, electric guitar and percussion, fusing modern with traditional to produce an intoxicating mix that makes you forget that it’s Irish music you’re listening to...Get onboard now, before they become too popular to be cool”. - Bill Linnane, Corks Evening Echo

A globe of generous girth or one of Cork's most accomplished-folk ensembles? Chunky Planet's fine take on the genre has cultivated a growing fan base who will be delighted to hear news of an imminent double-sided single. 'Price You Pay'/'Suicide Bomber' will be launched on Saturday 22nd July with a special appearance at Sirius Arts Centre in Cobh, one of many performances at various art centres in the south of the Country. - Roisin Dwyer

Chunky Planet Opening with the desolate ticking of a clock in an otherwise silent room, the initial seconds of ‘Pensioners watch T.V.‘ paint an effective picture of loneliness: "Cupcakes and game shows and cloudy skies. I‘m looking out on a world that‘s got pornographic eyes". The song describes the world from a pensioner‘s eyes - unfamiliar and unfriendly. The subject is tackled with insight, empathy and a touch of humour. I can‘t recall such an effective study on the theme since Squeeze‘s "Labelled With Love". The delivery and sentiment call to mind Del Amitri‘s "Nothing Ever Happens". Carl Antony Plover‘s husky vocals, combined with the slide guitar line which lurks in the background, give the track a distant nostalgic aura which washes over the listener and lingers long after the last note has rung out.
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The introductory passage of "History Stops" features an enchanting tin whistle line which eschews traditional Irish riffs and strays into primal territories. Showcasing Linda‘s bluesy voice, it evolves into an up-tempo folk rock track. Unpredictable dynamics, stop-start surprises and off-the-wall lyrics are all representative of what gives the band their own unique, quirky charm.

Chunky planet explore the capabilities of traditional Irish instruments further in "Israel", taking the tin whistle and bodhran out of their usual settings and allowing them to explore distant lands and cultures. The result is enchanting, and exhilarating. You know those songs where you find yourself dancing around the room with total abandon, flailing your arms wildly and howling like a dervish? You don‘t? Well.. Me either... Obviously. Ahem. But if I did, ‘Israel‘ would be that kind of song. Comparisons with Kila are probably inevitable, but Chunky Planet takes it’s experimentation in different directions.
- www.musician.ie

The Cork based Chunky Planet are wife-and-husband duo Linda Carroll and Carl Plover. They plough a guitar-driven folk tinged indie furrow with shades of Mercury Rev and American Music Club. 'Walking in my Shoes' is an appealing, laid-back effort, with a decent chorus and neat harmonies.

The uptempo 'Take me to the Stars' proves the first track was no fluke. It bristles with life, has an urgent rhythm and a soaring whistle. 'No messages, No Complaints' has a subtle blues feel allied to a guitar with Middle Eastern touches.

Chunky Planet make it work because they think and play outside the box.

(Jackie Hayden, CD Review, HOTPress Magazine, October 21st 2009)
- HOTPRESS

After a five-year gap since their first single Pensioners Watch TV the male/female duo of Carl Antony Plover and Linda Carroll are finally releasing their follow up E.P Walking in my Shoews. The E.P delivers an interesting amalgamation of Irish folk and punk-rock. Take me to the Stars is a highlight boasting a pulsating bluesy rhythm. It's the gripping rhythms coupled with some wonderfully punchy vocals that makes this E.P quite an exciting listen. Like any good E.P it has the listener wanting more. If Fleetwood Mac were from Ireland they might just sound like this.

Limerick Event Guide (November 2009)

- Limerick Event Guide

Chunky Planet - Cork's most likely candidates for better things! - Tony Clayton Lea - Irish Times

Pensioners Watch TV is like a lullaby with the lazy gait of its country-ish guitar and intonation to sleep...the feeling is that the band have created an alternative western landscape - Don O'Mahony - Dpwntown, Cork's Evening Echo