Shorter days, lower temperatures and the emergence of the all-dreaded christmas music can only mean one thing. No not santa! There’s still 29 days till the jolly red giant comes calling (not that I’m counting or anything) But no, the end of the year for music bloggers and journalists alike only means one thing and that of course is ‘Album of the Year’. And whilst the majority of these lists will be populated by the same names (barring a few exceptions of course), I never thought that an album by a band with no number 1 singles and little international exposure would pop up as a serious frontrunner for my obligatory chart.

The band of course is Analogue Wave and regular readers here will know that I’m somewhat of a fan (but don’t hold that against me) Since the initial emergence of various demo’s and EP’s earlier this year, Del Chaney and Andrew ‘Gint’ Sneyd have done well to capture a decade of electro, dub, reggae and blues music and cleverly package it in the form a debut album/masterpiece.

From N.L.G. W.V.’s atmospheric opener Devils, to the heavy-hitting Fingers and subtly refined I Hold Dear Analogue Wave effortlessly show how to merge a broad range of musical genres whilst retaining each and every element that makes the group what they are.

Both individually and collectively Del & Gint have amassed a wealth of musical experience over the years. And it is this which has allowed for the album’s seamless and well-rounded quality (not something that can be said in relation to the majority of debut releases). There is a noticeable confidence deeply entrenched in the duo’s debut offering that stands as a testament to the groups musical prowess.

And so what does the future hold for this Dublin based electro group? They have already received plaudits from the likes of The Guardian and RTE 2FM. And with one album under their belt and a second underway which promises to be ‘faster and groovier than the first with the AW twist’ it may not be much longer till Analogue Wave becomes somewhat of a household name.

If you like what you hear be sure to check out the band’s online profiles:

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/analogue-wave
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/analoguewave
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnalogueWave