EVIL HARRISONS

Words Johnnie Craig


We have to be sensible about this but there really is something very special about Evil Harrisons. Actualy, make that some THINGS. They're not your typical, artless skinny jeans/leather jacket mob; they have brilliant tunes galore, all crafted with precision, passion and brevity; they perform in an easy, laid back style which belies the sophistication of their art; lyrically, they are streets ahead of the pack - singer and lyricist Ronan Murphy is as well read, wordy and articulate as a Neil Hannon or even a Morrissey.

Onstage, a string duo and percussionist augment the four regular members, ostensibly to add an extra touch of class to their already classy act. Even with their astonishingly good six-track EP, In If It Is, being launched tonight, it's a brilliant new song, "Light in the Belfry", that kicks off proceedings. It's an instant hit and when it blends into EP track "Corner Crazy", we are, it seems, totally hooked. Ronan's easy croon sits at once comfortably and edgily with Barry Dwyer's myriad guitar styles, reminding me more than once of the creative frission between Morrissey and Johnny Marr. They could bell become that good.

Lawnmower-through-a-dictionary nugget, "Some Grand Plan", showcases Ronan's angst-ridden rapping skills (yet, refreshingly, he still pronounces 'asterisk' correctly) over a delightfully simple guitar melody. The EP's (and arguably 2007's) highlight, the beautiful "A Pickle Like You", is performed, complete with backing vocals, to perfection. Tracks like "Siren Sister", "Maurice Dancing" and "Oh Bonnie" only underline this bands burgeoning brilliance.

Their set is cut sadly short by impatient clubbers but despite the premature end, they have been more than impressive tonight.As I say, we have to be sensible and not talk them up too much, in case it all falls apart. However, Evil Harrisons have the talent, the diligence and the craft to be, not simply outstanding, but exceptional. Take them to your hearts. - Johnnie Craig/InDublin Magazine

THE AXIS OF EVIL HARRISONS

Tired of those ordinary indie guitar bands? As Dundalk's wordy funksters Evil Harrisons show on their marvelous new EP, a little imagination goes a long way...

There's an aura of excitement around Ronan Murphy and Paul Carolan of Evil Harrisons as we take afternoon tea. And why not? Together with guitarist Barry Dwyer and bassist Nicolas Puyane, they're entitled to talk proudly, lovingly and extensively about the songs and the beautiful packaging that make up their unspeakably wonderful new six-track EP, In If It Is.

The follow-up to last year's hip-grabbing funk-fest, "You're My Ears And My Big Toes", the EP takes their genre-shredding manifesto several stages further over the stages further over the course of its six superb songs. As ever, Ronan's lyrics are on another plain to practically anything else being written in the country. "A lot of my lyrics are about young men in severe depressive or psychotic states," he smiles sweetly. "Mainly about a girl".

Opening song Some Grand Plan, sees him rapping maniacally over a breezy, lilting rhythm; the contrast works like a dream. "It's a sort of paranoid...manic monologue: agitated, terrified, excited. It's a love song and a confession - a sort of hovering around the moment of surrender. I had a lot of fun with this one; really tried to push the expressive envelope."

Pick of the bunch, A Pickle Like You, with its floaty-light but deceptively delicious melody, depicts revenge as sweet and sour. "It's at once a struggle with the masochistic search for inspiration, followed by the difficulty of artistic detachment when your heart's been broken. A bit hysterical, that one." I couldn't have put it better.

The EP climaxes with smokey, sleazy soul ballad The Life I'm Dreaming of, wonderfully sung by Galway vocalist Orla Travers. "I always liked how Ronan sang it," says Paul, "but it needed a female soul voice. And Orla just came in and nailed it." Indeed she did. At 15-minutes short, the In If It Is EP is greatness itself and a must-own.
- Johnnie Craig/InDublin Magazine

Evil Harrisons are not easy listening, rather- Evil, an acquired taste if you will. (And in a time when bands want to do nothing more than please the moral majority- and the record labels- it takes independent minds to make music without a business agenda) Let me start by saying that you won't hear anything, remotely like this this year, or for the foreseeable future.
There are a million kooky hoops, loops, breakneck funk basslines, Harrison harmonies, inside out melodies, rhymes and metaphors- as for the instruments-
Cello, violins, zips, glockenspiel, organs, mouthorgan and even knives- think you can handle it? If you're the type of person who has a lot whizzing around in your mind and you need something more than two chord tunes played by identikit modelle types to hold your attention - this is exactly what you need to quench your musical thirst, the diametric opposite.
There's some full frontal evil assault on here – Pimp My Physical Ride but it's not all evilness, there's some romantic paeans on here too- see Corner Crazy and the sublime The Life I'm Dreaming of.
I always find the mark of a good record is one which attaches itself to your subconscious, So I'm walking down the street when ' The knife in every work of art is twisting deeper everyday/ I don't really care I've gotcha like Lenin in Red Square' (A Pickle Like You) and then I'm staring out the window of the bus when 'Wasp in your weekend/fly in your tea) (Lion Salad) pops into my head unexpectedly.
Evil Harrisons are on the up- claim them now!
To sum up- grandiose melodies and literary lyrics, masterfully meshed- sweet perfection from Evil minds.
5/5
Tia Clarke - Tia Clarke/Connected Magazine

IN IF IT IS" EP Hotpress Review
Thur 25/01/07

After two years and two limited releases, Evil Harrisons finally hit their stride in spectacular fashion. Six tracks on a debut single may seem to be a bit presumptious but, like the Rags before them, they exude the confidence to make it all sound effortless. The pick of the bunch is "Some Grand Plan", a bizarre clash of guitars, vocals that sound like Bob Dylan rapping and a shuffling dance beat. The other five tracks are no slouch either, displaying an equally admirable disregard for convention. With Both 8Ball and The Rags themselves gone AWOL, this might just be the lot to do it.
Phil Udell - PHIL UDELL/HOTPRESS

Just as the Blizzards are plagued with constant references to their hometown of Mullingar and its famous son Joe Dolan, so Dundalk's Evil Harrisons are doomed to be perpetually lumped in with muzak virtuosos The Corrs. Thankfully, however, like The Blizzards, Evil Harrisons share no musical similarities whatsoever with their fellow citizens. Having had several self-released singles and EPs (one produced by Mark Carolan), the young quartet return with possibly their finest cluster of songs yet. Opening with the downbeat-yet-lithe pop of Some Grand Plan, singer Ronan Murphy's yo-yo vocals sprawl delightfully across the track like an indie Eminem; the rollicking jazzy-pop of Lion Salad follows a more conventional blueprint, but is undeniably catchy all the same, while the bombastic funk undertones of Pimp My Physical Ride - replete with unforeseen chord changes and warm piano interludes - showcase Murphy and guitarist Barry Dwyer's superlative songwriting talent. The closing couplet of torch song Corner Crazy and The Life I'm Dreaming Of - a jazzy, Morcheeba-style ballad that features a smoky-voiced female vocalist - bring the pace down nicely, but it's still not enough to erase the memory of standout track A Pickle Like You. 'I don't really care', Murphy croons in that familiar syrupy snarl, 'I got you like Lenin in Red Square', as his bandmates harmonise like a barbershop's finest. As much talent as one band could possibly cram into fifteen minutes.
4/5
Lauren Murphy - Lauren Murphy/Entertainment.ie